Brief History of Mother's Day

The ancient Greeks held festivities to honor Rhea, the mother of gods.  Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of the mother of Christ, Mary.  This holiday in England was expanded to include all mothers and was renamed Mothering Sunday.

Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis inspired the creation of Mother's Day as a national holiday here in the United States.  She organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs to improve health and sanitary conditions.  She urged the club to be neutral and provide relief to both Confederate and Union soldiers.  They treated and fed the wounded during the Civil War.  Ann organized a Mother's Friendship Day at the courthouse in Pruntytown.  She wanted to bring together soldiers and neighbors of any political beliefs.  This was an annual event for many years.  Her life revolved around the church and she taught Sunday school for 25 years.  Eight of her twelve children died before reaching adulthood. 

In 1907 Anna Jarvis, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis' daughter, began to lobby prominent businessmen like John Wannamaker, and politicians including Presidents Roosevelt and Taft to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers.  In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday. Anna's hard work paid off.

Over time, the commercialization of Mother's Day infuriated Anna.  She believed the sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of profit and greed.