The month of May is upon us which means Mother’s Day is coming near. While we all try to scrabble around to find that perfect gift for the one responsible for our upbringings, we thought it would be interesting to dig into the history of ‘Mother’s Day’ and how it came to be!
Although, Mother’s Day celebrations can be tracked as early as the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods, the modern celebrations of Mother’s Day started much later and can be credited to a women named Anna Jarvis.
Originating from Philadelphia, Anna Jarvis set out to distinguish Mother’s Day as a national holiday, simply as a means to honor the memory of her late mother who often spoke of wanting to create a day celebrating what a mother does for her family. Anna was at her mother’s graveside when she passed away and remembered something her mother would frequently say:
“I hope that someone, sometime, will found a Memorial Mother’s Day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it.”
It was then, Anna made a promise to her mother:
“The time and place is here and the someone is your daughter, and by the grace of God, you shall have that Mother’s Day.”
The process began in 1907 when Anna had a little assembling of companions in her home to remember her mom’s life. She announced the idea of a national day to honor mothers. In 1908, Anna persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, WV to celebrate Mother’s Day on the anniversary of her mother’s death, the second Sunday of May. It was to be a day to respect all moms, and furthermore a memorable day crafted by peacemaking, compromise, and social activity against poverty began by her mom. That very year, Mother’s Day was additionally celebrated in Philadelphia.
The rest as we say – is history. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated all across the world and is a special celebration to honor mothers/ guardians/ caregivers everywhere!
Need some ideas for gifts for Mothers Day? Check our blog post from last year where we share some gift ideas!
