Mother’s Day is a holiday celebrated around the world to honor mothers and motherhood. Although it is celebrated on different dates and in different ways across cultures, the essence of the holiday remains the same: to appreciate and recognize the countless sacrifices and contributions made by mothers to their families and society at large.
The origins of Mother’s Day can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held annual festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. The Christian Church also had a tradition of honoring mothers on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which was known as “Mothering Sunday” in the United Kingdom.
However, it was not until the 20th century that Mother’s Day took on its modern form. The credit for creating the modern Mother’s Day goes to Anna Jarvis, an American social activist and organizer.
Jarvis was born in Grafton, West Virginia in 1864. She was raised by her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who was a community organizer and activist in her own right. Ann Reeves Jarvis was a member of Mother’s Day Work Clubs, which were formed during the Civil War to provide aid and support to families affected by the conflict.
After her mother’s death in 1905, Anna Jarvis set out to honor her mother’s memory by creating a holiday that would celebrate the contributions of all mothers. She began campaigning for a national holiday, writing letters to politicians, influential people, and newspapers.
In 1914, after years of lobbying and activism, Jarvis’ efforts paid off when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill into law that officially recognized Mother’s Day as a national holiday in the United States. The holiday was to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year.
Jarvis’ vision for Mother’s Day was to be a day of simplicity and sentimentality. She believed that the holiday should be marked by family gatherings, handmade gifts, and heartfelt expressions of love and appreciation. She even came up with the idea of wearing a carnation on Mother’s Day, with a white one symbolizing a deceased mother and a pink or red one honoring a living mother.
However, as the holiday became more commercialized and popularized, Jarvis became disillusioned and disheartened. She saw the floral and greeting card industries profit off of the holiday and felt that they had strayed from the original meaning of Mother’s Day. She became increasingly embittered and vocal about her opposition to the commercialization of the holiday, even starting a “Mother’s Day International Association” to fight against it.
Despite Jarvis’ efforts, the commercialization of Mother’s Day continued to grow. While her original vision for the holiday may have been eclipsed, her influence and impact on Mother’s Day are undeniable.
Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world, although the date of the holiday and the customs surrounding it vary. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Mother’s Day is still celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In other countries, such as Mexico and Italy, Mother’s Day is celebrated on fixed dates in May.
While the commercialization of Mother’s Day may have taken away from its original simplicity and sentimentality, the essence of the holiday remains constant. It is a day for us to honor and appreciate the mothers in our lives, to thank them for their selflessness and sacrifices, and to remind them of how much they are loved.
Whether we celebrate with homemade cards and breakfast in bed or lavish gifts and elaborate outings, the sentiment behind Mother’s Day remains the same: gratitude, love, and appreciation for the women who have given us so much. And in that way, we can all be indebted to Anna Jarvis, the woman who most famously fought for a day to honor mothers and motherhood.