In the 19th century, moms whose sons served in the Civil War or died in that war would gather in groups. Before the Civil War, Ann Jarvis was already working to establish Mothers’ Day Work Clubs. The purpose of these clubs was to educate local women about child care.
She set up a committee in 1868 to arrange Mother’s Friendship Day, a time for mothers to get together with former Union and Confederate warriors to encourage reconciliation. Ann Jarvis wanted it to be a yearly mother’s day tribute.
Before the formation of the yearly events, she passed away in 1905. But her daughter Anna Jarvis carried on her mother’s work in acknowledging the sacrifices women make for their children.
1908 witnessed the first official celebration
In May 1908, a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia, hosted the first official celebration of mother’s day. Anna Jarvis planned it. And, John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia business owner, also hosted the Mother’s Day event that day to offer financial support.
Anna Jarvis persisted in her efforts and sent letters to the media and legislators to get Mother’s Day included in the national calendar. Mother’s Day became a yearly celebration in several states and cities by 1912. President Wilson officially made it an annual event on the second Sunday in May after signing a bill in 1914.
Anna Jarvis was sorry she invented Mother’s Day
Due to its enormous popularity, card businesses and florists soon began to extensively market the occasion. Around 1920, Jarvis started regretting Mother’s Day, as it became a commercial connotation. At the time of its origin, she wanted to set up a day of sentiment and non-profit. Not a day to spend money to buy expensive gifts and flowers. So, she expressed regret for creating the day.
She would even advocate for its removal from the schedule once more. Until her death in 1948, Jarvis campaigned against the commercialism of florists, card manufacturers, and other businesses that were undermining her Mother’s Day. She also opposed charities that utilized Mother’s Day as a fundraising opportunity.
Other pioneers
Frank Hering, Mary Towles Sasseen, Juliet Calhoun Blakely, and Julia Ward Howe are further pioneers. On June 2, 1872, Howe organized a “Mother’s Day for Peace” anti-war demonstration in New York. It was an appeal for mothers to band together to promote world peace, and it persisted in Boston for almost 10 years before it was discontinued.
Sasseen and Hering tried to organize Mother’s Day in the late 19th century, while Blakely, an activist, established a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s.
Commercialism
Today, Mother’s Day is highly commercialized by retailers and advertisers, including florists and manufacturers. The florists even came up with the idea of wearing red/pink flowers (to indicate your mother is alive) or white (to indicate your mother passed away) on this holiday to increase their flower sales.
History Of Mother’s Day
Mother’s day dates
Upcoming dates in the United States: