Mother’s Day
This United States holiday was created to honor one mother and now honors all mothers.
This United States holiday was created to honor one mother and now honors all mothers.
Nathaniel Glanzman
Reviewer URLOrigin
On May 10th, 1908, Anna Jarvis held a ceremony in Grafton, West Virginia. This ceremony, which served to honor her late mother, was the start of her campaign to create Mother’s Day. As Professor Leslie Harris told the UWM Report, “She saw Mother’s Day as a day to honor her mother’s sacrifices in a forum a lot like other special Sundays at church, like consecration Sunday, and that would be symbolized by a white carnation.” In 1909, The Florida Star said the white carnation symbolized the “true mother’s virtues” of purity, beauty, love, charity and faithfulness.
Jarvis spread the practice through an active letter-writing campaign and, by 1909, Mother’s Day was celebrated in multiple cities, including Washington D.C., Titusville, Florida and Jarvis’ hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1910, West Virginia passed a law designating Mother’s Day as a holiday.
Mother’s Day was first celebrated nationally on May 11, 1913. James Hefin, a representative from Alabama, introduced a house resolution asking President Woodrow Wilson and his cabinet to join him in wearing white carnations in honor of Mother’s Day. The resolution was popular and many wore white flowers to honor the day.
In 1914, Hefin introduced legislation to declare the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day nationally. Carnations were not mentioned in the 1914 legislation. The legislation was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 8, 1914. It was a popular resolution, with one Washington paper going so far as to say the president was “highly praised” for his adoption of Mother’s Day.
Traditions
There are many different ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, but most of them center around giving mothers a break. Children may serve their mother breakfast in bed. Most mothers also receive gifts from their loved ones. The early 1900s tradition of donning carnations is not part of the modern day Mother’s Day, but mothers today still often receive gifts of flowers.
What to say
“Happy Mother’s Day!” is a traditional greeting on Mother’s Day.
In recent years, those without mothers (or without a good relationship with their mothers) have expressed how Mother’s Day can bring up painful and upsetting emotions, like grief and anger. If you know your loved one does not have a good relationship with their mother, it may be more helpful to ask how they are doing rather than giving them a sunny Mother’s Day greeting. Offer them your support, rather than judgment. Listen to them openly and honestly.
If one’s mother has passed, this can also be a fraught time. See our article on what to do on the anniversary of a loss for more.