History of Mother's Day

Every year, we buy flowers for other mothers and take them out to a nice lunch. It is the one day when Mom gets to be the center of attention, which is a rare spot to be for most mothers. Although we follow this tradition almost blindly, we should know a little about the origins of this honor-bound holiday.

The ancient Greeks worshipped Rhea, who was the mother of all deities. Other ancient peoples had celebrations in honor of various goddesses, and most of them had an overarching celebration to worship the Goddess, and the best sources we have indicate that Mother's Day traditions stem from these pagan roots.

More modern traditions abound in England, where the people have Mothering Sunday during Lent. This holiday, which takes place on the fourth Sunday during the Lent season, is intended to honor earthly mothers. This tradition descends from the Celtic celebration throughout Britain honoring Brigid, the Celtic goddess.

In the United States, Anna Jarvis is considered the founder of Mother's Day. Her efforts to have mothers recognized with an official holiday began with her mother's death in 1905. She started by passing out white carnations at her mother's church in West Virginia and asking church pastors to lead services dedicated to mothers. St. Andrew's Church in Grafton, West Virginia was the first to do so in 1908. The state of West Virginia followed St. Andrew's example in 1912, when it became the first state to recognize the holiday.

Jarvis worked tirelessly, even leaving her job, to convince politicians and business leaders that a holiday devoted to mothers would be beneficial. The United States Congress passed a resolution calling for Mother's Day in 1914, and President Theodore Roosevelt signed the measure. Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting against what Mother's Day was becoming.

Today's Mother's Day celebrations are a bit different from what Jarvis imagined. Mother's Day has become commercialized more than Jarvis would have liked, but it is still a day when American honors their mothers.