History of Mother's day

By Isha Vishwanath, 2027

Published 5/14/2024

As the month of May goes along, a very special upcoming holiday for all moms is celebrated. Mother's Day is a very important holiday where moms are appreciated all over the world. But how was Mother's Day created? Who created this special day?

Mother's Day is dedicated to honoring mothers all over the world for all they have done for us and for giving them extra love and care. The holiday originated in the United States and is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Nowadays, most countries around the world celebrate as well. 

Anna Jarvis from Philadelphia is known as the founder of Mother's Day. Her mother was a leader of several women’s groups involved in spreading positive health and friendships which was most likely the inspiration for the holiday. On May 12, 1907, Jarvis held a memorial service at her church in West Virginia to spread news about this holiday and this was when it finally gained recognition. Word eventually spread to President Woodrow Wilson and he made it a national holiday in 1914. 

Despite Jarvis's encouragement to wear a white carnation in remembrance of one's mother, the tradition evolved to wear a red or pink carnation in honor of a living mother or a white carnation in honor of a deceased mother. Gradually, the day grew to include other people who fulfilled mothering duties, like aunts and grandmothers. But what had been essentially a day of honor turned into a commercialized occasion for sending cards and gifts, and Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to get the holiday she had created outlawed in protest.

Overall, children and their moms treasure the unique link between a mother and her child for eternity. It's a day to show our moms how much we appreciate and value their selfless love and sacrifices. To show our mothers how much we appreciate them, we should make every day of the year a great Mother's Day celebration!