Where would we be without our mothers? As it should be, this Sunday is a day to honor moms everywhere.
Mother’s Day did not start out in the American home with greeting cards, candy and flowers. The holiday actually has roots dating back to the Greeks. Here in the U.S., Mother's Day started 150 years ago. An Appalachian homemaker by the name of Anna Jarvis spearheaded an effort to bring awareness to the poor health conditions in her community. She felt the most effective way to marshal resources and get the effort done was through mothers in the region.
When Anna Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter (also named Anna), memorialized her and her work on behalf of mothers through a special recognition campaign. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother's day."
After years of an ongoing effort, Anna's hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill in 1914 recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday on the second Sunday in May.
If you can, be sure to give your mother a call.
Interesting facts about Mother’s Day:
- The carnation is the original Mother’s Day flower.
- Nearly one-quarter of all flowers purchased in the US on a yearly basis are purchased for Mother’s Day.
- The word for mother in a majority of the world’s languages also happens to begin with the letter ‘M.’
- Today, Mother's Day is celebrated around the world, recognizing these special ladies in our lives.