History of Mothers Day History

the ancient Greeks were among the first to pay tribute to mom sort of their Spring Festival honored Ria the mother of all Greek gods that holiday didn't pan out in medieval Britain servants were given the fourth Sunday of Lent to travel home and spend the day with their moms this custom was called mothering Sunday but the modern era Mother's Day was created by Anna Marie Jarvis Anna admired her mother who attended to the wounded during America's Civil War and later became community activist when young Anna was 12 It is believed she heard her mother pray that one day there might be Memorial Day for mothers for all the good that they do young Anna never forgot the prayer and when her mom died in May of 1905 the plan for holiday was born on the second anniversary of her mom's death Anna held church Memorial dedicated to her mother's good deeds in May of 1908 Anna held another Memorial and handed out white carnations her mom's favorite flower she contacted Philadelphia philanthropist John Wanamaker who joined Mother's Day committee in hopes of honoring all mothers all across the nation in 1910 West Virginia became the first state to observe the Second Sunday in May as Mother's Day after fierce letter writing campaign Anna got Congress to federally recognize the holiday and in 1914 President Wilson signed bill that officially made the Second Sunday in May Mother's Day the holiday was meant to be spent in church afterwards Sons and Daughters would write loving letters to their mothers carnations were worn that day pink or red honored living mothers and white honored moms who had passed with each year more and more Mother's Day carnations were sold and by 1920 greeting card companies got into the Mother's Day Biz Anna was enraged by what she considered lazy excuse for letters that should be handwritten by 1924 the holiday Creator was so appalled with the commercialization of Mother's Day that she petitioned to abolish it in 1930 Anna was arrested for disturbing the piece at Mother's Day Carnation sale sadly Anna spent the rest of her life and family inheritance fighting the holiday she died in 1948 leaving no children to remember her since then Mother's Day has become one of the most profitable holidays for florists and the phone company's highest volume day of the year this probably wouldn't have pleased Anna but deep down she would have to be satisfied that on her Mother's Day millions of moms around the world receive extra attention and well-deserved hugs