Mother’s Day in the US May 9, 2016

Mother’s Day is a unique holiday in the United States, in that it is not named for a particular person or event.  It was founded by a woman named Anna Jarvis as a way for everyone to recognize the importance of  the mother in the family.  In a time where women were still fighting for rights and men were still seen as superior, this was not an easy feat, but she did it.  In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed into law the creation of Mother’s Day as a National holiday.

As the years passed the holiday became more and more commercial with the selling of greeting cards, engraved gifts and flowers.  Anne Jarvis was concerned with the industry using this holiday as a way to make money from saying,  “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit.” She even boycotted companies and threatened to sue.

Today the tradition of  honoring one’s mother on Mother’s Day in the United States is celebrated in many different ways.  Some people take their mothers out for brunch, serve her breakfast in bed, do her chores, or take her out for dinner.  Others celebrate all of the mothers in the family by buying gifts and having a meal together.  So, whether you’re buying your mother a card or inventing a way to make her day more special, mothers should be celebrated!