Maternity Through Eternity

Mother's Day was not invented by a greeting card company.

What we call "Mother's Day" actually has its roots in ancient times, when the Greeks celebrated Rhea, "Mother of the Gods." Much later, in 17th Century England, "Mothering Sunday" marked the fourth Sunday of Lent. The day represented time off for servants to return home and honor their moms.

In the United States, conflicting evidence exists as to who created Mother's Day. The earliest U.S. celebrations date back to the 1860s, when Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis organized the Mother's Day Work Clubs in West Virginia. Members of the clubs worked to improve sanitary conditions in their cities. During the Civil War, the work club members declared their neutrality and became nurses, treating wounded Union and Confederate soldiers.

After the war, Jarvis organized a Mother's Friendship Day at the courthouse in Pruntytown, West Virginia, to bring together soldiers and townspeople of all political beliefs. Despite fear of violence, the celebration was peaceful, and became an annual event for several years to follow.

When her husband died in 1902, Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis had moved to Philadelphia to be with her children. Jarvis died there in 1905, and her daughter Anna vowed to honor her mother. In 1907, Anna began campaigning to establish a national celebration of moms.

In 1908, West Virginia and Pennsylvania celebrated the first "official" Mother's Day. Most of the other states would recognize the day by 1911. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson formally proclaimed the second Sunday of May to be Mother's Day.

Today, 46 countries around the globe honor moms with a special day. Internationally, Mother's Day is always May 11. In the United States, Mother's Day continues to occupy May's second Sunday. And, it remains a greeting card extravaganza despite its remote origins.

Back To Mom's The Word

Mother's Little Treasure
Dearest Moms And Mothers Dearest
Momma Trauma
Nag-Libs
The Moms Behind The Men

Written by Joshua Platt with graphic design by Sophie Chou.size=-1>