Mother’s Day is when we appreciate all the efforts of our loving moms. When you hear “Mother’s Day,” what usually comes to mind? Elegant gifts? Delicious cakes? Cocktails? More interestingly, do you know how all of this celebrating started?
The modern day celebration of Mother’s Day started in the United States in the early 20th century. A woman named Anna Jarvis held a celebration for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia in 1905. Overwhelmed by the positivity she felt in recognizing her mother she started a campaign to get others to recognize a day for mothers. Her goal was to honor and continue the works of her mom, who was a peace activist who cared for soldiers during the Civil War. Her mother also established the Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.
A few years after launching her campaign, Anna’s home state of West Virginia officially recognized Mother’s Day in 1910. A few more years later, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. As the years progressed, the holiday has been adopted by other nations, and it’s now celebrated all over the globe.
Mother’s Day Facts
- Anna Jarvis, who led the campaign to make Mother’s Day a holiday, ended up despising it. She hated the idea of companies using the holiday to boost their profits.
- Pew Research Center determined that there tends to be more phone calls made during Mother’s Day than any other day of the year.
- The third most popular holiday in the world is Mother’s Day. It’s second to only Christmas and Easter.
- About 80 percent of Mother’s Day cards are bought by women.
- During Mother’s Day, the US spends upwards of $68 million on greeting cards, $1.53 billion on gifts, and $2.6 billion on flowers.
However you choose to celebrate, keep in mind the essence of the day, recognizing Mom for all of her contributions and sacrifices for your well-being.
