Why do we celebrate Mother's Day : a brief history of this day

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Don't you ever wonder why this day, Mother's Day, was instituted in the first place? Or maybe who the first person to come up with the idea of celebrating this day, Mother's Day, may be? That's what am about to share with you. The interesting story that led to the establishment of this wonderful day.


Mother's Day has become one of the most important days in the year. Every year this day is being celebrated across so many place around the globe in honour of the mothers. A lot of people have the chance to show their appreciation to their mothers in different ways. A lot of mothers also anticipate this day because it makes them feel special some way. It has become so popular and widely accepted by so many people at different places in the world.

• See also: 5 ways to celebrate her on mothers day

Why mothers day?

The usually type of Mother's Day celebrated today was not always around not until the early 1900s, 20th century. Although in various parts of the world, there have been occurrence of similar days set aside to celebrate the mothers.

Mother of Mother's Day : from wikicommon

What seems to be a big day started with the effort of a young lady,  Anna Jarvis, who held a memorial service for her mother in 1908. However, her campaign to start the Mother's Day started few years before the actualization of the day. It started in the year 1905, the same year her mother,  Ann Reeves Jarvis died. She was a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers, and she also created a club called Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.

Her campaign way to continue the great work started by her mother, and also to celebrate all the mothers, (she always believe that "mothers has done more for you than any other person in the world").

The United States Congress rejected the proposal to make mothers day a public holiday in 1908. However, due to her effort, some states later adopted this day as a holiday. With West Virginia, her home state, being the first state to make it a public holiday in 1910. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

Mothering Sunday

It is also an holiday celebrated in some parts of Europe by Catholic and Protestant Christians. It falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Day.

 It was first observed as a day on which people would visit their "mother" church, and it is also being celebrated with children giving presents to honour their mothers.
On this day, young maids and servant are released by their master to go to their own "mother" church to worship. This at first has nothing to do with the present day Mother's Day. It was rather a day when people go back to their own home church, especially where they were baptized, to celebrate. People celebrate this day by uniting with their family and friends who they have probably not seen for a long time. It also come with presentation of gifts to mothers.

At a point in time, this mothering Sunday was no longer celebrated the way it used to be before, but inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts in the United States, Constance Penswick-Smith created the Mothering Sunday Movement, and in 1921 she wrote a book asking for the revival of the festival.
Well, with this brief summary am sure you now know the history of this great day, Mother's Day. I won't be more detailed than this, for further reading, you can visit any of my reference site below.

Reference: 

• Mother's Day 
• Mothering sunday