Mother’s Day

Every second Sunday in May, a segment of the American population finally received some well-deserved props.  This segment is the mothers of America and nobody is ever going to argue that mom’s doesn’t warrant a holiday.  Considering that mothers have such a large role in parenting chores, it’s only worthwhile that they have a national holiday dedicated to them.

The history of Mother’s Day can be traced back to England, who was among the first countries to set aside one day of the year to celebrate moms.  This English holiday can be found in the eighteenth century and was rooted in the way that English society was set up at the time.  Considering that a large number of English mothers worked as household servants for the wealthiest English families, this Mothering Sunday was a day that allowed mothers to return home and act as mothers to their own children.  Eventually, the realities of the Industrial Revolution put a stop to this tradition. However, Mother’s Day was established as a holiday in England in the twentieth century.

In America, Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1915.  Its origins can be traced back to the work of Anna Jarvis, a West Virginian girl who was determined to honor her mother.  Anna Jarvis grew up in West Virginia and Philadelphia, the daughter of a minister.  Anna spent her childhood helping her mother tend to her garden that was predominantly filled with white carnations, a potent Mother’s Day symbol.  After her mother’s death on May 5, 1905, Anna was determined to honor her mother’s work.  She would ask her minister to give a sermon in her mother’s memory and on that same Sunday in Philadelphia, a minister gave a special Mother’s Day service that honored Anna Jarvis’ mother and all of the other mothers in the country.  Eventually, Anna Jarvis would begin correspondence with congressmen throughout the country asking for a special day of the year to honor mothers.  The governor of West Virginia was the first to acquiesce to this request by proclaiming that the second Sunday in May would be Mother’s Day.  A year later in 1911, all of the states celebrated Mother’s Day and four years later, it would become established as a national holiday.

On this holiday, children throughout the country have an opportunity to show their appreciation to their mother’s.  Considering the vital role that mothers play in our lives, there’s no age limit for a child to give praise to their mother on Mother’s Day.  Kids have the opportunity to perform chores and allow their moms to take a day off to relax from their numerous responsibilities.  Adults are able to bring gifts to their mothers.  A particular prominent gift is red carnations, which is the official Mother’s Day flower.  For people whose mothers have passed away, Mother’s Day is a day where they should bring white carnations to their mother’s grave sights.  Essentially, Mother’s Day is a day that mother’s should be allowed a day off to bask in some much deserved adulation.  It isn’t a surprise then to learn that Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for restaurants, as most families are horrified by the prospect of having their mom’s cook on their special day.  For all of the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!