History and Special Promotions of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, is celebrated across the globe, with its current roots tracing back to the United States, where it is observed on the second Sunday in May. In the Middle Ages, people return to visit their original home parishes and their mothers on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. This tradition evolved into Mothering Sunday in Britain, but has been largely supplanted by the American-style of Mother’s Day.

The initiator of the modern Mother’s Day was Anna Jarvis, an American activist from Philadelphia, whose mother had been involved in women’s groups promoting friendship and health. After Anna’s mother passed away, she held a memorial service on May 12, 1907 and wore a white carnation as a tribute. This event was held in the church of Anna’s mother, located in Grafton, West Virginia. Following this memorial, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson officially established it as a national holiday in 1914.

Over time, the holiday expanded to honor not only mothers but also grandmothers and aunts, recognizing all who played nurturing roles. As Mother’s Day became a practice of sending flowers and buying gifts, Annia started to believe that this form of commercialism went against the very notion of the holiday.