Mrs Jarvis had spent her life mobilising mothers to care for their children, says historian Katharine Antolini, and she wanted mothers' work to be recognised. She is entitled to it," Mrs Jarvis said. She was very active in the Methodist Episcopal Church, where, from , she ran Mothers' Day Work Clubs to combat high infant and child mortality rates, mostly due to diseases that ravaged their community in Grafton, West Virginia.
In the work clubs mothers learned about hygiene and sanitation, such as the vital importance of boiling drinking water. The organisers provided medicine and supplies to sick families and, when necessary, quarantined entire households to prevent epidemics.
Mrs Jarvis herself lost nine children, including five during the American Civil War who most likely succumbed to disease, says Antolini, a professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College. When Mrs Jarvis died in , surrounded by her four surviving children, a grief-stricken Anna promised to fulfil her mother's dream, though her approach to the memorial day was quite different, Antolini says. Whereas Mrs Jarvis wanted to celebrate the work done by mothers to improve the lives of others, Anna's perspective was that of a devoted daughter.
This message was something everyone could get behind, and also appealed to churches - Anna's decision to have the holiday on a Sunday was a smart move, says Antolini.
Three years after Mrs Jarvis's death, the first Mother's Day was celebrated in the Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton - Anna Jarvis chose the second Sunday in May because it would always be close to 9 May, the day her mother had died.
Anna handed out hundreds of white carnations, her mother's favourite flower, to the mothers who attended. The popularity of the celebration grew and grew - the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that soon you could not "beg, borrow or steal a carnation". In Mother's Day became a West Virginia state holiday and in it was designated a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson.
A huge factor in the day's success was its commercial appeal. So the floral industry, greeting card industry and candy industry deserve some of the credit for the day's promotion," says Antolini.
When the price of carnations rocketed, she released a press release condemning florists: "WHAT WILL YOU DO to rout charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations? But what the elder Jarvis had probably had in mind was something different than what her daughter eventually brought to reality.
Why would the elder Jarvis have focused her idea for a commemoration of motherhood on this idea of community service? The reason was a tragic one. Her experience of motherhood had been infused with sadness. Of the 13 children that she bore, only four lived to adulthood. In , while she was pregnant for the sixth time, Jarvis enlisted the help of her brother Dr.
James Reeves, who was involved in treating victims of the typhoid fever epidemic, to try to improve the situation. They organized events at which doctors were invited to lead discussions with local mothers on the latest hygiene practices that could keep their children healthy. Get our History Newsletter. Put today's news in context and see highlights from the archives. The spread of Christianity throughout Europe in the 16th century increased the celebrations and firmly put Mothering Sunday on the calendar.
It was believed to be essential for people to return to their home 'mother' church to make it a true family honoured occasion. The gatherings reunited families and gave children who worked as domestic servants, or as apprentices away from home from as early as ten years old , the opportunity to have the day off to join their family and see their mother.
Throughout the year in England and Ireland people would regularly and devoutly visit their nearest chapel, their 'daughter' church, whereas on Mothering Sunday, as well as baptisms, people would visit their 'mother' church loaded with offerings of thanks. Such celebrations were similar to, and most likely adopted, the Roman ceremonies of the Mother Goddess. The religious day increased its scope from thanking Mother Mary to a 'mother' church celebration and finally opened up as an occasion to thank and appreciate all mothers; thus creating Mothering Sunday.
Whilst the day had a firm following for many centuries since the 16th century, by it started to decrease in popularity and was celebrated less and less in Europe, until WWII.
The Americans and Canadians celebrated Mother's Day during the war, feeling a crucial need to give thanks to their mothers whilst away at war. The Brits and other Europeans followed their comrades and they too gave thanks to their mothers; since then it earns pride of place on the UK calendar.
The holiday was formed much later than Mothering Sunday, and was created in by a lady named Anna Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, in honor of her late mother. Jarvis pushed hard for a holiday to celebrate all mothers after the death of her own, and after lots of hard work, determination and promotion President Woodrow Wilson finally made it an official holiday for the US in However, as the holiday grew more and more established it became more and more commercialized much to the disgrace of Jarvis, who named it "Hallmark Holiday".
Jarvis went on to oppose the day and regret what the day had turned into, and she died in very unhappy with what Mother's Day had become.
Nonetheless, in the US Mother's Day still remains a popular holiday making it one of the biggest days for sales of flowers and cards. As with any national holiday, Mother's Day involves the giving of gifts and cards to show Mum how much she's valued and appreciated. Traditionally Mother's Day gifts included flowers and a Simnel cake. The flowers were picked by the workers on the way home from work for a day with their mum; they'd pick wild flowers from the country lanes.
It is still a tradition today to spoil mum with a stunning colourful bouquet of flowers, as well as more modern gifts such as perfume, clothes or jewellery. As with any national holiday, food always seems to take centre stage; Christmas dinner, Easter eggs, Valentine's feast and Mother's Day Sunday roast dinner. We love our food and the tradition it brings! Mothering Sunday was once also known as 'Refreshment Sunday' it was the mid-lent Sunday where fasting could be 'eased' for the day and people could enjoy a delicious meal together as a family.
Alesandra Dubin Freelance Writer Alesandra is a veteran digital journalist based in Los Angeles, who has covered travel, food, events, fashion and beauty, entertainment, home, parenting, and viral content for more than 15 years. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano. More From Mother's Day Ideas
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