The History of Mother's Day

Do you know when Mother's Day was proclaimed a National Holiday? Do you know who proclaimed it or initiated the celebration? How about how many countries celebrate it on the same day, the second Sunday in May? If you'd like to know more read on!


Ancient Greece is where the earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to and this was in honor or Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's England created the holiday "Mothering Sunday" to honor the mothers of England and it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Then the custom was to bring to their mothers small gifts or a "mothering cake," or very rich fruitcake. Servants were given the day off and were encouraged to be with their mothers. Mothering Sunday is very closely tied to honoring the "Mother Church," and is therefore a religious holiday in England.  Today however, children give their mother's flowers, cards and gifts.

Anna M. Jarvis

In the United States, in 1872 Julia Ward Howe first suggested Mother's Day to encourage the practice she would hold meetings in Boston, Mass ever year. Then in 1907, a woman by the name of Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948, saddened by the death of her mother began a letter-writing campaigning to have Mother's Day a National Holiday. Ms. Jarvis never married but was very close to her mother and felt that children often neglected to appreciate their mothers while they were alive. She hoped Mother's Day would strengthen family bonds and increase parental respect. Ms. Jarvis was successful in persuading 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. By 1908, Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis continued her campaign and by 1911, it was successful, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May. 

Although many countries celebrate their own Mother's Day the following countries celebrate Mother's Day on the same day as us,  the 2nd Sunday in May; Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Canada and Belgium.  In England "Mothering Sunday" occurs on the fourth Sunday of Lent.