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The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be
traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient
Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
During the 1600's, England celebrated a day
called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th
Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to
Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers
of England.
During this time many of the England's poor
worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs
were located far from their homes, the servants
would live at the houses of their employers. On
Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day
off and were encouraged to return home and spend
the day with their mothers. A special cake,
called the mothering cake, was often brought
along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the
celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church"
- the spiritual power that gave them life and
protected them from harm. Over time the church
festival blended with the Mothering Sunday
celebration . People began honoring their mothers
as well as the church.
In the United States Mother's Day was first
suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote
the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as
a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold
organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass
ever year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a
campaign to establish a national Mother's Day.
Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in
Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day
on the second anniversary of her mother's death,
the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's
Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to
ministers, businessman, and politicians in their
quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It
was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was
celebrated in almost every state. President
Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official
announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a
national holiday that was to be held each year on
the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their
own Mother's Day at different times throughout
the year, there are some countries such as
Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and
Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the
second Sunday of May.
traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient
Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
During the 1600's, England celebrated a day
called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th
Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to
Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers
of England.
During this time many of the England's poor
worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs
were located far from their homes, the servants
would live at the houses of their employers. On
Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day
off and were encouraged to return home and spend
the day with their mothers. A special cake,
called the mothering cake, was often brought
along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the
celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church"
- the spiritual power that gave them life and
protected them from harm. Over time the church
festival blended with the Mothering Sunday
celebration . People began honoring their mothers
as well as the church.
In the United States Mother's Day was first
suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote
the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as
a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold
organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass
ever year.
In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a
campaign to establish a national Mother's Day.
Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in
Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day
on the second anniversary of her mother's death,
the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's
Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to
ministers, businessman, and politicians in their
quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It
was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was
celebrated in almost every state. President
Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official
announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a
national holiday that was to be held each year on
the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their
own Mother's Day at different times throughout
the year, there are some countries such as
Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and
Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the
second Sunday of May.
