God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.
Rudyard KiplingMother's Day is a holiday celebrated annually as a tribute to all mothers and motherhood. It is celebrated on various dates in many parts of the world. Although the origins of the holiday date back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the modern form of the celebration of Mother's Day in the United States began in the early 20th century.
Modern history
Mother's Day was originally observed in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, as a memorial service by Anna Jarvis in honor of her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. Ann Reeves Jarvis had established Mothers' Day Work Clubs in five different cities years earlier. Following the memorial, Anna Jarvis initiated a campaign to establish Mother's Day as a national holiday. Her efforts proved successful in 1914, when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
Mother's Day around the world
In contemporary times, Mother's Day is celebrated in over 150 countries worldwide, albeit on different dates. While countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and several European nations commemorate the day on the second Sunday of May, many African countries celebrate it on March 21st. Interestingly, the origins of this African date back to ancient Egypt, where it was observed to honor the goddess Isis, who was regarded as the mother of all pharaohs.
In the UK, Mother's Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, while in Mexico, it is observed on May 10th every year. In Thailand, Mother's Day is celebrated on August 12th, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, who is regarded as the mother of the nation.
In essence, the dates of Mother's Day around the world may vary, but the sentiment behind the occasion remains the same - to express gratitude, appreciation, and love for the mothers and mother figures who have nurtured and supported us throughout our lives.
Interesting facts about Mother's Day
- Anna Jarvis (woman who founded Mother's Day) believed it became too commercialized by 1920s and fought to have it abolished [1].
- The original Mother's Day proclamation by Anna Jarvis in 1908 included a request for a white carnation to be worn as a symbol of the holiday. Today, carnations are still commonly used as a symbol of Mother's Day.
- In the USA, Mother's Day is one of the biggest holidays for phone calls, and Father's Day is the busiest day for collect (reverse charge) calls [2].
- Typically, 30% less is spend on Father's Day gifts than on Mother's Day gifts [3].
- Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to dine out in the United States with almost 40% of consumers doing so [4]. Accordingly, it is also the busiest day of the year for KFC [5].
- Mother of John and Clarence Anglin, 2 of the 3 men who ever escaped from Alcatraz, received flowers anonymously every Mother's Day until her death in 1978. The interesting thing is her sons were officially reported to have drowned in San Francisco Bay while escaping in 1962 [6].
References
- [1] Jonathan Mulinix, The Founder of Mother's Day Later Fought to Have It Abolished.
- [2] Pallavi Gogoi, Father's Unspectacular Day, Bloomberg.
- [3] Phil Izzo, Number of the Week: Spending Less on Father’s Day, The Wall Street Journal.
- [4] Mother's Day Dining Fact Sheet.
- [5] Chris Fuhrmeister, KFC Is the Mother's Day Destination.
- [6] June 1962 Alcatraz escape, Wikipedia.