First Mothers Day Celebrations Food Cooking International Guide
First Mothers Day Declared A National Holiday In 1914
By Jane Kliperrs
The first Mothers Day is not so far back in our history. There
were certainly many festivals in ancient times, particularly in
Greece where the mother of the gods, Rhea, was often honored;
however, modern Mothers Day history begins in the early 1900s.
Credit for the creation of the holiday goes to a woman named
Anna Jarvis who was the driving force behind the idea to create
a day where mothers everywhere would be recognized nationally.
Anna Jarvis created the first Mother’s Day as a way to honor
her mother’s memory. Her mother passed away and two years later
Jarvis began a campaign to make the second Sunday in May a day
of recognition for all mothers.
Jarvis Began Her Campaign In 1907
Her Mother’s Day ideas spread over the years and soon much of
America was celebrating this holiday. Jarvis went from Philadelphia
to the surrounding states and then beyond, convincing others to
celebrate this day with her.
So the first Mother’s Day is sometimes considered to be in 1907,
when Jarvis began her campaign. For different states the first
day might be a year or so later, depending on when it was brought
into custom and law.
A National Holiday Began In 1914
The history of Mothers Day made its official starting point,
however, in 1914. This was the year when the president at the
time, Woodrow Wilson, made this day into a national holiday for
all states to celebrate.
After the first Mothers Day was recognized by the United States,
Anna Jarvis became upset about its commercialism. It didn’t take
long for stores to make money off of this holiday by selling flowers
for mothers, cards and candy.
Greed And Profit Took Over
Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her life trying to fix what she’d
started. She felt that greed and profit were taking over from
what started as a simple way to remember her own mother and for
others to do the same.
The idea Anna Jarvis had for the first Mothers Day was a good
one, and for that she should be honored. However, the different
companies that have profited from this holiday have turned the
day into one of spending money and rushing around to find the
perfect gifts for mom.
Not Everyone Spends Money On Gifts
While Anna Jarvis just wanted to honor the memory of her own
mother and wanted others to do the same, the holiday did quickly
became highly commercialized. That being said, not all Americans
review their options and have fallen into the whole "gotta
buy that" trap.
Loving and thankful children continue to honor their moms and
they no doubt always will, regardless of the money grubbers who
have exploited the day for financial gain.
About the Author:
Jane Kliperrs has written a number of articles on Mothers Day, gift ideas, party ideas, and food including
Mothers Day Gift,
Wedding Gift Ideas,
Unique Gift,
The Birthday Party,
Birthday Party Supplies,
Birthday Party Rental,
Party Supplies,
Party Supply Tips.
Keep a lookout for more articles on this website.
Did You Know?
How did Mother’s Day begin?
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when Mother’s
Day, or similar celebrations, actually began. Some think it goes
back to ancient Greece where festivals were held to honor the
mother of the Greek gods, Cybele.
Others believe that it actually started
on a holiday called Maronalia which was celebrated by the ancient
Romans. The holiday of Matronalia was a dedication to the Roman
goddess Juno and mothers were given gifts to celebrate and honor
their part.
Early Catholics celebrated Laetare Sunday
which is the fourth day of Lent. It is held to honor the Virgin
Mary and the church itself.
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