The History of Mother's Day
The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece
in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday".
Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent, "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.
In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to
peace. Miss Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass every year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day.
Miss Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the
second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May.
By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Jarvis and her supporters began petitioning ministers, businessmen, and politicians in their quest
to establish a national Mother's Day.
In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national
holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
Since carnations were Mrs. Jarvis's favorite flower, soon after people
everywhere began wearing carnations to honor their moms.
The U.S. Mothers' Day is a holiday celebrated on second
Sunday in May. It is a day when children honor their mothers with cards, gifts, and flowers.
Many other countries of the world celebrate their own
Mother's Day at different times throughout the year.
Australia, celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in
May, as in the U.S.
Red Carnations indicates your mother is
alive
White Carnations indicates your mother passed away
Yellow Carnations indicates you're a Bereaved Mother.
What is a Mother?
It takes a Mother's LOVE to make a house a home,
A place to be remembered, no matter where we roam.
It takes a Mother's PATIENCE to bring a child up right,
And her COURAGE and her CHEERFULNESS
to make a dark day bright
It takes a Mother's THOUGHTFULNESS
to mend the heart's deep hurts,
And her SKILL and her ENDURANCE
to mend little socks and shirts.
It takes a Mother's KINDNESS
to forgive us when we err,
To sympathize in trouble and bow her head in prayer.
It takes a Mother's WISDOM to recognize our needs
And to give us reassurance
by her loving words and deeds.
It takes a Mother's ENDLESS FAITH,
her CONFIDENCE and TRUST
To guide us through the pitfalls of selfishness and lust.
And that is why in all the world
there could not be another
Who could fulfill God's purpose as completely as a MOTHER!
~Helen Steiner Rice~
God bless our faithful good mothers.
