Americans were a little slow to celebrate the women in their lives. While spring festivals honoring goddesses like Rhea, Cybele and Hilaria date back to 250 BC, Mothers Day wasn’t suggested until 1872 in the US. Julia Ward Howe, writer of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” also wrote a “Mother’s Day Proclamation.”
In it, she said, “In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient.” Some say this spawned the history of Mothers Day in America, although there are many other stories.
Many historians agree that Mothers Day was made possible by the dedication, the passion and the drive of one woman, Anna Jarvis. Some say she was pushed so vociferously because she had quarreled with her mother and never had a chance to reconcile before Ann Jarvis Sr’s death.
She had quit her job and lobbied aggressively to politicians, church leaders and citizens to get the holiday ratified. Unfortunately, the commercialization of the holiday just nine years later sickened her tremendously. She spent all her later years campaigning and protesting Mothers Day cards and flower sales. “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit,” she stammered.
The history of Mothers Day in America is also a triumph of women’s civil rights. What started as a few strong women’s cries for national and international peace turned into cries for a day of rest and peace for the maternal head of the household.
Mothers Day became one day of the year where she could guiltlessly kick back her feet, let her husband and children wait on her and accept thoughtful gifts of love. Even though it wasn’t intended as a commercialized holiday, it’s also this buying frenzy that has spread the idea of a holiday for mothers around the world.
To read more Celebrating Womanhood With Mothers Day
