Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a time of commemoration and celebration for Mom. It is a time of breakfast in bed, family gatherings, Mother's Day Cards and "I Love you's".

Mother's Day will be celebrated on Sunday May 08, 2005 (in the U.S.). In the UK Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the 6th of March.

The Story of Mother's Day
Historians claim that the holiday of Mother's Day emerged from the ancient festivals dedicated to mother goddess in ancient Greece. These early Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the wife of Cronus and the Mother of the Gods.

In Rome too, Cymbal, a mother Goddesses, was worshipped, as early as 250 B.C. It was known as Filarial and it lasted three days.

However, neither the Greek or Roman festivals were meant for the honoring of our immediate mothers, as is done in our modern day Mother's Day celebrations.

Rather closely aligned to our Mother's Day, is the "Mothering Sunday". During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday" or the "Mid-Lent-Sunday". Observed on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*), "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England. During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the " Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

Mother's Day is a Special Day
Absolutely no one is more special than mom. Sure, dad is really important and so are your grandparents. But moms, well they are just very special. Often taken for granted, they are always our strongest supporter. You can't do wrong in Mom's eyes. When you are hurt or not feeling well she is always there.

So go out and celebrate Mother's Day. First and foremost, spend time with her. If you absolutely can not be there, take time for a long phone call. Flowers, Mother's Day Card, candy and gifts are all part of the day. But, mom will some time with you far more than anything else.

A Description of Mothers
Mothers come in all sizes, shapes and colors and are found everywhere: at kitchen sinks; hunting lost school books; kissing hurt places to make them well; patching seams and dreams; settling disputes; getting meals; supervising baths and morals. Mothers are the child's first and most important teacher. Eighty percent of what a child learns, he learns by the time he is five years old. A mother seems to have eyes in the back of her head, ears that can hear the cookie jar lid being stealthily lifted two rooms away. Her smiles are contagiously cheerful and light up a home, imparting hope and courage.

The First American Mother's Day
In the United States, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) is credited with bringing in the celebration of Mother's day and the first Mother's Day was May 10, 1908 in Philadelphia.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis 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. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, 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.

Anna Jarvis, daughter of Anna Reeves Jarvis , who had moved from Grafton, West Virginia, to Philadelphia, in 1890, was the power behind the official establishment of Mother's Day.

Swore at her mother's grave site in 1905 to dedicate her life to her mother's project, and establish a Mother's Day to honor mothers, living and dead

A persistent rumor is that Anna's grief was intensified because she and her mother had quarreled and her mother died before they could reconcile

In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother's church, St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia -- one for each mother in the congregation

May 10, 1908 : the first church -- St. Andrew's in Grafton, West Virginia -- responded to her request for a Sunday service honoring mothers

1908: John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia merchant, joined the campaign for Mother's Day

Also in 1908: the first bill was presented in the U.S. Senate proposing establishment of Mother's Day, by Nebraska Senator Elmer Burkett, at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association. The proposal was killed by sending it back to committee, 33-14.

1909: Mother's Day services were held in 46 states plus Canada and Mexico.

Anna Jarvis gave up her job -- sometimes reported as a teaching job, sometimes as a job clerking in an insurance office -- to work full-time writing letters to politicians, clergy members, business leaders, women's clubs and anyone else she thought might have some influence.

Anna Jarvis was able to enlist the World's Sunday School Association in the lobbying campaign, a key success factor in convincing legislators in states and in the U.S. Congress to support the holiday.

1912: West Virginia became the first state to adopt an official Mother's Day.

1914 : The U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution, and President Woodrow Wilson signed it, establishing Mother's Day, emphasizing women's role in the family