A Mother’s Day History Lesson Part I Of II

Mothers’ Day is celebrated on various days in various ways depending on what country you reside in.  In the United States, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
 
Originally it was inspired by the British Mother’s Day which is also called “Mothering Sunday”.  In 1858, Ann Jarvis who was a young Appalachian homemaker from West Virginia attempted to improve sanitation through what she called “Mothers’ Work Days”.  She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitation conditions and tried to help reconcile both the Confederate and Union neighbors.  It was originally intended as a call to unite women against war.  In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation which was a call for peace and disarmament.    She did not ever receive formal recognition for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” that she sought.

After Ann Jarvis passed away 1907, her daughter Anna Jarvis, began to work to find a way to honor her mother as well as all mothers.  She wanted to make it a simple celebration to show appreciation for all her mother had done for her.   Her efforts paid off and led to the first recognized Mother’s Day.  The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908.  Other states began to declare Mother’s Day an official holiday beginning in 1912.  In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day as a day for all American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons have died in war.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.