11 May 08 Mother’s Day
The old English Mothering Sunday which takes place in March in the UK, has its roots in pre-Christian times, and is celebrating there as a religious festival, but modern Mother’s Day – the giving of cards, flowers, chocolates etc – was started in the United States by Anna Jarvis.
Firstly she got her local church involved, as she wanted to commemorate her own mother’s life, and that of all mothers, and after campaigning for the best part of ten years, US President Woodrow Wilson officially dedicated a day to mothers in 1914 – the second Sunday in May.
However, Anna was horrified at how commercialized it rapidly became, and she, along with her sister, spent the whole of the family inheritance trying to get it stopped. She even tried to copyright the date, so she could take control of, and tone down the event. She failed, and died in poverty in 1948.
The way that Mother’s Day is celebrated now, would surely make her turn in her grave.
Tags: 1914, anna jarvis, cards flowers, family inheritance, local church, mothering sunday, poverty, president woodrow wilson, religious festival, roots, second sunday, tone down, woodrow wilson
