Mother’s Day is a globally celebrated holiday dedicated to honoring motherhood, observed in various forms around the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day for the year 2024 falls on Sunday, May 12th. The American tradition of Mother’s Day originated from the efforts of Anna Jarvis in 1908, eventually becoming an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Despite its establishment, Jarvis later expressed disapproval of the holiday’s commercialization and devoted the latter part of her life to advocating for its removal from the calendar. Across different cultures and regions, Mother’s Day typically involves the gesture of presenting mothers with flowers, heartfelt cards, and thoughtful gifts.
What Is Mother’s Day?
The celebration of mothers and motherhood has roots dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans, who revered mother goddesses like Rhea and Cybele through festivals. However, the modern precursor to Mother’s Day can be found in the early Christian observance known as “Mothering Sunday.” Initially a prominent tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this occasion occurred on the fourth Sunday in Lent, symbolizing a time for the faithful to return to their "mother church" for a special service. Over time, Mothering Sunday evolved into a secular holiday, with children honoring their mothers with flowers and tokens of appreciation. While this custom gradually waned in popularity, it eventually merged with the American Mother’s Day celebration in the 1930s and 1940s.
"Fun fact: Mother’s Day witnesses more phone calls than any other day of the year. These heartfelt conversations with Mom often result in a surge of phone traffic, increasing by as much as 37 percent."
Mother’s Day Origins in the United States
The roots of Mother’s Day in the United States can be traced back to the 19th century. Prior to the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia played a pivotal role in initiating the “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs,” aimed at educating local women on childcare practices. These clubs emerged as a unifying force in a region still reeling from the aftermath of the war. In 1868, Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” where mothers convened with former Union and Confederate soldiers, fostering reconciliation. Another influential figure in the prelude to Mother’s Day was the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe, who penned the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870, urging mothers to advocate for world peace. Howe also campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be observed annually on June 2nd. Among the early champions of Mother’s Day were Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, during the 1870s, and Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, who worked to organize Mothers’ Day celebrations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Frank Hering, in particular, has been hailed as “the father of Mothers’ Day.”
Anna Jarvis Turns Mother's Day Into a National Holiday
The official recognition of Mother’s Day emerged in the early 1900s through the dedicated efforts of Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s passing in 1905, Anna Jarvis conceived Mother’s Day as a tribute to the selfless sacrifices made by mothers for their children. With financial support from John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia department store owner, Jarvis organized the inaugural Mother’s Day celebration in May 1908 at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. Simultaneously, thousands gathered at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia for a Mother’s Day event. Determined to institutionalize the holiday nationally, Jarvis, who never married nor had children, launched an extensive letter-writing campaign to newspapers and prominent figures, highlighting the need for a day dedicated to honoring motherhood amid a landscape of male-centric holidays. By 1912, numerous states, towns, and churches had embraced Mother’s Day as an annual observance, leading Jarvis to establish the Mother’s Day International Association to further her cause. Her perseverance bore fruit in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation formally designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
DecorArts's Gifts For Mother's Day
On Mother's Day 2024, we have some gifts for the great mothers around the world, 10% off all types of flower paintings and two personalized paintings. Come and pick a exquisite artwork for your mothers!
