Remember Throwback Thursday, that was all over Facebook and Instagram a decade ago? Well, always one to be up with the trends, I thought I'd do it here. Looking back at my blog during the A-Z Challenge inspired me to do more of it. So the plan is to post something on Thursday from the same week in years past. Here goes the inaugural post. I didn't go back very far to find one that was published a year ago on May 11, 2025. That happened to be Mother's Day, and I posted about the origins of it.
Note: While searching for the first post, I found I did Throwback Thursday in 2016. I don't remember doing that. I guess this is a case where everything old is new again. 😀
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Sunday, May 11, 2025
Mother's Day
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
What an interesting slice of history. Isn't it interesting how the work of one or two people can have such an impact generations later?
ReplyDeleteIt's remarkable what one determined person or a group of determined people can do to make a change. Ann and Anna were those kind of people.
DeleteThis was a very informative post. Judging by the bouquets of flowers remaining at Publix yesterday, not everyone cashed in on Mother's Day this year!
ReplyDeleteMaybe they were waiting on the really good deal you can get after Mother's Day. :)
DeleteI enjoyed reading about the history of Mother's day. I hope you had a special day.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It was a low key day. My sons visited and brought supper.
DeleteThank you for throwing it back and giving us a little history. I agree with Anne, this year was not a cash in year! I got a fresh bouquet for my mom from the florist for $22.50 - they were selling other prepared ones from $45 and UP! I love my mom, but she doesn't want me was ting money.
ReplyDeleteI finally convinced my husband that I am just as happy with a grocery store bouquet as a florist one. He still gets an arrangement sometimes, but part of that is he's trying support a local business.
DeleteI remember Throwback Thursdays! It's fun to look back and see where one was on a given day, several years ago, isn't it? I checked my blog to see what I wrote on the first May 14 on my blog; it was in 2015 and my daughter had just completed the coursework for her first year of grad school. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here she is over 10 years later with a successful job and living back in your area. All good things.
DeleteEverything old is new again - yep. Sometimes I forgot I posted something but I guess it's why it's helpful to have a blog archive.
ReplyDeleteThat's good history of Mother's day. I admired Anna for her persistency. It's sad that we commercialize every holiday.
Have a lovely day.
The the commercialization just seems to keep increasing every year. But if the public didn't buy it, they wouldn't keep selling it.
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