West Virginia Blog

Celebrated every year, Mother’s Day is an occasion when individuals express their love and respect that they have for their mother. The “Mother” of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, was instrumental in making Mother’s Day a national holiday, which began in the United States as a call for peace, and as influential people joined the campaign, it quickly caught on.

Anna Jarvis (1864-1948), of Philadelphia, crusaded for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace. She began a letter-writing campaign to a variety of influential people that made Mother’s Day a national holiday. Anna and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother’s Day and in 1912. Anna Jarvis quit working and devoted herself full time to the creation of Mother’s Day. Anna’s mother died in May of 1905, when Anna was 41 years of age. Anna 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. The Mother’s Day International Association was incorporated for the purpose of promoting the day and its observance. Anna handed out flowers at her Methodist church in honor of her late Mother. Anna’s dream came true when on May 9, 1914, the Presidential proclamation declared the 2nd Sunday of May to be observed as Mother’s Day to honor the mothers. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war. Anna missed her mother very much and felt that children should appreciate their mother’s more while they’re still alive. Anna hoped Mother’s Day would increase respect and love and strengthen family bonds. Anna had hoped for a day of reflection and quiet prayer by families, thanking God for all that mothers had done. Anna Jarvis’ own mother was a role model of domestic nurturing and other household responsibilities and she was the inspiration of the national holiday.