History of Mother's Day:How a Peace-Centric Movement Became a Commercial Holiday

A portrait of the founder of Mothers Day Anna Jarvis

PIC CREDIT:-WIKKIMEDIA COMMONS

Mother's Day is celebrated in honor of every mother. It is celebrated every year in the United States and in some countries like in India on the second Sunday of May. The real origin of Mother's Day is in the U.S. Civil war that has taken place in years before, when a woman named ANN Reeves Jarvis helped to launch "Mother's Day Work Club" in West Virginia. Their goal was to reduce the infant mortality rate by teaching local women and how to take proper care of their children, improve the condition of cleanliness and fight against the disease. When the war finally broke in 1861, the groups started taking care of the wounded soldiers from both sides. By 1868, after the civil war ended, Jarvis converted the organization into a peace-centric movement which came to be known as the "Mothers" Friendship Day, in which the former Union and federal soldiers were involved in the gathering. Jarvis, often called "Mother Jarvis", wrote:

"Why does the mother of mankind not interfere in these cases to stop the waste of these human lives, from which they bear alone and know the cost?"

About the same time, other women from all over the country strengthened the foundation of Mother's Day from various occasions and celebrations of their Mother's Day. Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote "Mother's Day Declaration" in 1870, who invited all the mothers of the world to unite and promote world peace. Later they "campaigned for the Holidays called" Mother's Day’’,Day celebrated on June 2. One of Michigan's nature activist’s Juliet Calhoun Blackly celebrated local Mother's Day in the 1870s.

But till the 1900s it was not that Mother's Day was recognized nationally. Anne Jarvis's daughter, Anna Jarvis, encouraged the Holidays after the death of her mother in 1905. In 1908, Jervis received financial support for hosting an official Mother's Day celebrations in a church in West Virginia. Also, there was a festival in a retail store in Philadelphia by the financial support of Jarvis.

It was a sensation, so Jarvis decided to make his goal to add holidays to the national calendar. By 1912, Jarvis left his work and started the Mother's Day International Association, which partnered with local businesses and campaigned for writing letters to government officials. It worked. In many states, cities and churches adopted Mother's Day as annual holiday, and by 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in 1914.

Unfortunately, this holiday was quickly commercialized. Actually, this day (Mother's Day) is about showing your feelings towards your mother, not earning money .Focus on this Mother's Day, what is this holiday really? If you cherish your mother’s work for being caring, supportive and all around you when you needed her most and respect all the sacrifices made by her for you and if you can do this, then spend some time with your mother. Gifts are fine, but do not forget to show her some real love with your feelings.