Mother’s Day is not merely a holiday in the United States. Almost everywhere across the world, mothers have been honored from time immemorial as nourishers of mankind. Earliest rites in Greece revered Rhea, mother of all Grecian deities; the Romans looked to Cybele, mother of the Roman gods. The early Christian Church worshipped the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.
England had its own version of the holiday, calling it “Mothering Day.” All citizens, especially the working poor domestics who toiled from morning to night at the fine manors belonging to the wealthy aristocrats, observed this day. Pity was taken upon the servants and they were urged to visit their own mothers living at points far away. On this holiday, no matter what the social or economic status was, everyone came forth to honor motherhood.
Mother’s Day, in its earliest beginnings, was an outgrowth of a social reform movement led by Mrs. Anna Jarvis, who lived in the Appalachians. She ardently attempted, around 1850, to introduce to her neighbors the need for better health and sanitary conditions in the region. She felt mothers would be the most nourishing so she called the observance “Mother’s Working Day.” Another theory proposed that she was instrumental in imploring the authorities for more hygienic surroundings for both sides of the Civil War.
By 1872, due to the efforts of Julia Ward Howe, the wheels of change were set in motion to encourage peace throughout the United States. For the next few years, Miss Howe arranged Mother’s Day observances in Boston each year.
However, on the second Sunday of May, 1877, Mother’s Day became a driving force in the United States, led by Mrs. Juliet Calhoun Blakely. Mrs. Blakely was attending services at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Albion, Michigan when the pastor, the Reverend Myron Daughterty, in mid-sermon, had a psychological “meltdown” and quickly left the pulpit with no explanation. It soon became known he was so distraught because his son and two other alcohol abstainees were bamboozled (no pun intended) by an anti-temperance gang who had forced them to spend the entire night in a saloon, where they had become drunk for all to see. Mrs. Blakely stepped up to the pulpit and completed his sermon on temperance and peace, calling for all mothers to join her.
It was not until 1907 that Mother’s Day was again observed, led by Miss Anna Jarvis, daughter of the 19th-century Appalachian advocate for peace. At this memorial service, Miss Anna gave out 500 white carnations to the mothers in the area. Services to honor this day were now being observed each year and hence, Mother’s Day was a recognized holiday.
In 1910, the governor of West Virginia granted the day as an official celebration and on May 14, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson put Mother’s Day into law as an officially recognized holiday.
Sales of flowers and candy for Mother’s Day were so inflated that the holiday soon became a victim of commercialism. Miss Jarvis was so disgusted she attempted to sue the federal government over the sales. Disillusioned by the holiday she had created, she withdrew unto herself, dying alone in a sanatorium in 1948.
In the 21st century, flowers and candy are still the top sellers. Now, it is considered traditional for an offspring to present the their mother with a red carnation; if their mother has already died, many people arrange white carnations atop their graves to pay their respects.
Terry Kaufman is Chief Editorial Writer for Niftykitchen.com, Niftyhomebar.com, and Niftygarden.com.
©2007 Terry Kaufman.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Kaufman
Side Note: This is the second article I posted about mothers day. They both have some very good information about mothers day. Just make sure that you get your moms flowers ordered on time this year.
Corey Hoffman