The Original Mother's Day:

Mother’s Day is a globally recognized holiday dedicated to honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the immense influence of mothers in society. It’s a time for children and families to express their deepest gratitude, love, and respect for the women who nurture and shape their lives.

📅 When it Happens: The Second Sunday in May

In the United States and many other countries—including Canada, Australia, India, and most of Europe—Mother’s Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in May.

However, the date varies globally:

United Kingdom: Mothering Sunday, which has distinct historical roots, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
Mexico: Día de las Madres is celebrated annually on a fixed date, May 10th.
Thailand: Mother’s Day is celebrated on August 12th, which is the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.

🌍 Where It Started: The Modern U.S. Campaign

While traditions honoring mothers and goddesses stretch back to ancient times (like the festivals for Rhea in Greece and Cybele in Rome), the modern holiday known as Mother’s Day largely started in the United States in the early 20th century, thanks to the determined efforts of Anna Jarvis.

The Pioneers and the Official Establishment

Ann Reeves Jarvis (The Mother): Anna Jarvis’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, was a peace activist and community organizer in West Virginia in the mid-19th century. She organized “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to promote sanitation and health, and later, “Mothers’ Friendship Day” to promote reconciliation between Union and Confederate families after the Civil War.
Julia Ward Howe (The Advocate for Peace): In 1870, the poet and suffragist Julia Ward Howe issued the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” which called upon mothers to unite and promote world peace following the devastation of the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War.
Anna Jarvis (The Founder): Following her own mother’s death in 1905, Anna Jarvis launched a massive campaign to establish a national day to honor all mothers, fulfilling a prayer she had heard her mother offer years earlier.
- First Celebration: The first recognized Mother’s Day service was held in 1907 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia (where her mother had taught Sunday School), followed by a larger service in Philadelphia in 1908.
- Official Recognition: Due to her tireless campaigning, the holiday gained widespread support. In 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation officially designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a national holiday “to honor the mothers of our country.”

🙏 Why We Celebrate Mother’s Day

Why we celebrate Mother’s Day is rooted in acknowledging the profound, selfless, and irreplaceable role mothers and maternal figures play in our individual lives and in the foundation of society.

A Personal Tribute: It’s a day for children to show appreciation for their own mothers—biological, adoptive, grandmothers, stepmothers, or any nurturing maternal figure—for their unconditional love, sacrifices, and guidance.
Recognizing Societal Influence: The day shines a light on the broader contributions of mothers as our first teachers, community builders, and moral guides. It acknowledges the dedication required to raise, nurture, and support the next generation.
A Day of Gratitude: Mother’s Day is intended to be a heartfelt, personal expression of thanks, often celebrated with gifts, flowers (especially carnations, which were Anna Jarvis’s mother’s favorite), homemade cards, or a special meal prepared for her.

Ironically, Anna Jarvis spent the later years of her life protesting and fighting against the commercialization of the holiday, as she felt its original intent—a deeply personal, spiritual, and simple expression of love—was being overshadowed by florists and greeting card companies. Despite her efforts, the holiday remains one of the largest celebrated days globally for gift-giving and family gatherings.

Would you like to learn about the specific Mother’s Day traditions in a particular country, or perhaps get some ideas for ways to celebrate?