How the Mother’s Day Holiday Started Might Surprise You

My guess was Hallmark created the Mother’s Day Holiday. Wrong! How the Mother’s Day Holiday started might surprise you.

My research found that the holiday originated in the United States (in its modern form), where it is observed on the second Sunday in May.

Mother’s Day History

Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother’s Day. On May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia. Within five years virtually every state was observing the day, and in 1914 U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. 

Encyclopedia Britannica

Today, many other countries celebrate mothers on this same date. However, honoring mothers can be traced back to ancient times when the public honored various female gods.

Interestingly, when Mother’s Day morphed into sending cards and giving gifts, Jarvis (see above) was incensed by its commercialization and fought to abolish the very holiday she had created! https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mothers-Day. You can find a much more historical explanation here: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day#section_1.

Do You Have Any Mother’s Day Traditions?

How do you celebrate Mother’s Day? My family usually makes me breakfast in bed. A woman can certainly get used to that! And we always go to Kennedy’s Restaurant in Breezy Point, NY, for dinner. First Hurricane Sandy and then the Pandemic have made this impossible, so that tradition has fizzled for us.

I will not be waking up in my own home on Mother’s Day, so no more breakfast in bed. My daughter moved out, and my son is out most Saturday nights, so that tradition also fizzled. No worries, though, I have initiated a new tradition, and I couldn’t be happier. More on that later.

Are you struggling with gift ideas? There are a gazillion articles easily found on Google with suggestions for every type of mom you could imagine. I perused a bunch of them and settled on this one article for having the best ideas. I would take one of every gift on this list, although any one of them would suit me just fine. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-best-mother-day-gifts-210115666.html

Mother’s Day Memories

When I think of Mother’s Day, my mind automatically goes to my mother and not myself. She has been gone twenty years, yet I still associate this holiday with her. How could I not? Quick story – on Mother’s Day, when Mike and I were living in Chicago, I sent her the FTD Mother’s Day bouquet. It was a bunch of carnations in a teapot.

When I called her that Sunday to wish her a happy Mother’s Day, she said, “Why did you do that? Why did you send me roses? Are you trying to get my hopes up?” I was stunned since I knew I had ordered carnations. I was on fertility drugs and desperately trying to get pregnant. My mom and I were saying Novenas to St. Theresa, asking for me to get pregnant.

The Power of St. Therese

Novena to St. Therese of Liseux

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands . .

(mention in silence here)

St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in
God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.

Amen

The Florist Did It

The florist had run out of carnations due to the popularity of the FTD Bouquet, so she substituted roses. Coincidentally, I had a doctor’s appointment the following day and learned I was pregnant. There is no doubt that those roses were a sign from St. Theresa that she had answered our prayers. We named our daughter Erin Theresa after this saint.

For those of you curious, you can find information on St. Therese here: https://www.littleflower.org/st-therese/frequently-asked-questions/. If you need spiritual intervention, I highly recommend reciting her Novena. It worked for us!

I mentioned earlier that I started a new Mother’s Day tradition. It’s good to change things up a bit! This year, I will be spending Mother’s Day weekend on the North Fork of Long Island. My girlfriends get together Thursday through Sunday, Mother’s Day weekend. We go out to dinners, ride on Barbara’s boat, pop into an old man’s bar, play games, and revel in each other’s company.

We cut loose and act silly. It is pretty fun. Our group comprises childhood friends that I feel so blessed to know still and socialize with. We return home early enough on Sunday to spend the day with our families. What could be better than making new memories with old friends by celebrating ourselves? I love Mother’s Day weekend with my friends!

What Would Be Your Perfect Day?

What is your perfect Mother’s Day? Have you thought about it? What if you are not a Mother and your Mother is not around? Does all the “hoopla” bother you? Mother’s Day can be tricky for some folks. If your mother recently passed away, the holiday might make you sad. It can be an emotional time.

The older I get, the more I realize what a saint my mother was for putting up with my antics. I also have realized what a role model she was for our family. She embodied the American ideal of working hard and prospering. She reminded me to recognize that life is a challenge, and no matter the adversity, there is always something to be thankful for. I miss her so much.

Happy Mother’s Day to all! I hope you are pampered, receive lovely gifts, and feel greatly appreciated this Sunday. Enjoy!

If I have said anything that resonates with you, kindly leave me a comment below. I would love to hear from you!