The most popular holiday to send a car is Mother’s day. Mother’s day is a holiday that officially recognizes mothers and all the love and dedication they show to their families. Mother’s Day is on the second Sunday in May and it was initially observed in 1907 in Philadelphia, PA. Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe both played large roles in getting Mother’s Day to become an official holiday.
What does the spelling of Mother’s day mean? There are some that debate the apostrophe in Mother’s day and aren’t sure that it should be in the word. Anna Jarvis was the individual that came up with the spelling of Mother’s Day. As she petitioned many to help with the official recognition of the holiday, she would always include the phrase “second Sunday in May” and also “Mother’s Day” in her letters. She wanted the apostrophe to symbolize that Mother’s Day is for your mother and that you are to honor your mother. This isn’t a plural possessive, it is singular which makes the spelling intimate to each person that chooses to celebrate it.
How did Mother’s Day come to pass? The first official celebration by the entire US was in 1908. However traces of celebrating Mother’s day can be dated back to Ancient Greece where many would celebrate women and mothers that gave them life. There were also traces of Mother’s day back in the 1600’s when England officially observed a Mothering Sunday during Lent. The celebration of Mothering Sunday was somewhat similar as all children and adults were encouraged to leave their workplaces to head home and honor their mothers. They would also bring a cake to their mothers as a thank-you and celebratory gift.
There are many other traces of Mother’s Day around other countries but in the United States, the push for Mother’s day was done by Anna Jarvis. She began an official campaign to establish Mother’s Day and choose to start it on the anniversary of her mother’s death which was on May 10th. She held a memorial service in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate all mothers and then she also held one in Philadelphia the following year because she moved there.
The passion and desire Jarvis had to celebrate the life of her mother and other mothers created a large letter-writing campaign. She would have many write to their ministers, politicians, and successful businessmen in order to request that there should be an officially recognized holiday called “Mother’s Day.” It took a few years but President Woodrow Wilson heard of the petition in 1914 and he made the official announcement that Mother’s Day would be held on the 2nd Sunday of May.
While not every country celebrates Mother’s Day on the same date, almost every country does have some type of recognized day in order to celebrate their mothers and their lives. It does seem like most countries have chosen the month of May to establish an official observance for Mother’s Day.
The symbolism behind the date was chosen by Anna Jarvis because she felt that mothers were most sacred and that a Sunday is the best day to honor mothers and their holiness. Jarvis was never a mother herself but she recognized the devotion and sacrifice of mothers and how women deserved to be recognized for their hard work to raise their children.
It was Anna Jarvis that was behind acts of service or gift-giving on Mother’s Day. She suggested that children bring a simple letter or flowers to their mothers in order to honor them. This is where you can blame the card industry as they have created Mother’s Day to become the most popular card-giving holiday of the entire year. Writing letters to mothers were the beginning of this sacred holiday and this tradition has been able to go on for many generations.