The History of Mothers Day

For Mothers Day, we always think of bouquets of flowers, sentimental jewelry and, of course, delicious chocolate. But do you know why we celebrate our mothers on a special day each year?  Many societies have had similar celebrations for centuries, such as the Roman Festival of Hilaria or the Christian Mothering Sunday. Mothers Day as we know it today, however, is a purely American invention.

In the 1870s, an activist named Julia Ward Howe suggested a Mothers Day for Peace and even wrote the Mothers Day Proclamation urging women to unite for peace around the world.  Howes Mothers Day was held on June 2^nd in Boston for a number of years but was ultimately unsuccessful.

A few years later, Anna Jarvis established the modern Mothers Day. Anna never had children of her own, but wanted to honor her late mothers memory. So she handed out carnations to her churchs congregation, as they were her mothers favorite flower, and she felt they symbolized a mothers pure love.

In 1912, Anna created the Mother’s Day International Association. She stated that mothers should “be a singular possessive, for each family to honor their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.” This same definition was used in the Joint Resolution President Woodrow Wilson signed in 1914 making Mother’s Day an official holiday that would fall on the second Sunday of May. Many other countries have adopted this version of Mother’s Day, though most modified the date to fall on existing celebratory days of motherhood.  

How do you celebrate Mother’s Day?  If your mother is a chocolate lover (and who isn’t?) order by Tuesday, May 7^th and receive your gift in time for Mother’s Day! 

Happy Mother’s Day to our moms and all of the wonderful mothers in the world!