Happy Mother's Day
to everyone who has had a mother!
Growing up in West Virginia, I learned early that Mother's Day was started there by Anna Jarvis to honor her mother, Ann Jarvis.
Before I go any further, let me clarify the names because, if you're like me, you might get them confused. The mother, Ann Maria (Reeves) Jarvis, named her daughter Anna Maria Jarvis. So, Ann is the mother and Anna is the daughter, and I will refer to them as Ann R. (mother) and Anna (daughter).
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| We visited the house where Ann R. lived a few years ago. |
Anna was born and grew up in Taylor County, West Virginia, where her mother was a social activist and deeply involved in her church. Ann R. advocated for mothers and formed Mother's Day Work Clubs to help women learn about sanitation and health care for their children. Ann R. also taught Sunday school, and during a prayer in one of her classes, she prayed that someone would create a day to commemorate mothers. That was in 1876 when Anna was 12 years old.
Ann R. died in 1905, and at her gravesite, her daughter vowed to honor her mother by making Mother's Day happen. Anna started an extensive campaign during which she wrote letters to everyone she could think of across the country and met with anyone who would give her an audience.
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| Anna Jarvis, circa 1909. (Library of Congress) |
The first Mother's Day service was held in 1908 at Ann R.'s home church, St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church, in Grafton, WV. Anna did not attend but sent 500 carnations, her mother's favorite flower, to all who attended. Later, Anna attended a service in Philadelphia, where she was living.
Anna continued to campaign tirelessly to make Mother's Day a national holiday, and Congress passed a law making it so in 1914. It is held on the second Sunday in May, the Sunday closest to Ann R.'s death.
But the story does not stop there. Businesses started cashing in on Mother's Day, and Anna spent the rest of her life fighting against this commercialization that she detested.
Even though the commercialization continues, I'd like to think that Anna would be happy that the day she fought so hard for is still being observed over 100 years later.
Happy Mother's Day!
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2024/05/11/anna-jarvis-mothers-day-founder/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Jarvis
