The History of Mothers Day
Julia Ward Howe launched the first Mother’s Day celebration on June 2, 1872. Back then, it was different than we think of Mother’s Day today. It was correctly called the “Mother’s Day for Peace,” and its goal was to remonstrate war and celebrate peace. In addition, moms everywhere were also acknowledged for their roles in the well-being of a peaceful society. Women’s suffrage also was mentioned on this day of the year. Until the turn of the 20th century, the holiday was pretty much celebrated in this way.
An additional female who contributed substantively to our nation by rallying other women to the cause of improving their neighborhoods was Ann Reeves Jarvis. Once she had died, her child Anna started lobbying for establishment of a countrywide celebration in honor of mothers. This was agreed to by President Wilson in the year 1914. Ever since that time, we have had an annual celebration on the 2nd Sunday in the month of May.
By 1923 Jarvis had begun to protest the manner in which Mothers Day was being celebrated. The result of to her desire to sentimentalize motherhood was the start of the gift giving that is now associated with Mothers Day. People started to send flowers and cards to their mothers. Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting against the commercialization of the holiday. Ironically, she never had any children and she spent the end of her life in a sanitarium, surrounded each year by Mothers Day gifts, flowers, and cards.
Many people spend time with their mothers to commemorate the holiday. Some people who live too far away and cannot visit so easily, send their mothers Mother’s Day flowers. Some people know what flowers their mothers like, and tend to choose those. Others choose flowers that have a special meaning.
Finding the perfect Mother’s Day present is a task enjoyed by many children. Fathers and children often spend quality time together looking for these special gifts. Typical Mother’s Day gifts include jewelry, perfume, flowers, books, and collectibles.
Jarvis may not have intended the Mother’s Day holiday to be filled with gift giving and special parties. She had wished for a special day be made to honor mothers. With that intention, she was very successful, as people all over the world give admiration to their moms.
