Did you know that Mother’s Day started as an anti-war movement? Anna Jarvis is most often credited with founding Mother’s Day in the United States. Designated as the second Sunday in May by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, aspects of that holiday have since spread overseas, sometimes mingling with local traditions.
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s due to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day to honor the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis (mother) of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to care for their children properly. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” where mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.
Today, we celebrate Mother’s Day with cards, gifts, and flowers to show how amazing and special moms really are.
MOTHER’S DAY QUOTES:
- “Sooner or later, we all quote our mothers.” Unknown
- ”When your mother asks, ‘Do you want a piece of advice?’ It is a mere formality. It doesn’t matter if you answer yes or no. You’re going to get it anyway.” Erma Bombeck
- ”When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” Sophia Loren
- “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” Princess Diana
- “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” Jill Churchill
- A mother is a person who sees there are only four pieces of pie for five people and promptly announces she never did care for pie.” Tenneva Jordon
- “Having kids—the responsibility of rearing good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings—is the biggest job anyone can embark on.” Maria Shriver
- “The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word ‘Mother,’ and the most beautiful call is the call of ‘My Mother.’” Kahili Gibran
- “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” Ricki Lake
