AlthougheverydayshouldbeMother'sDay,wemakesurethatonthesecondSundayinMay,mothersarefetedmorethanatanyothertimeoftheyear.Cards,gifts,andflowersaresentenmasse.Ibelieveitisthe#1dayforbothdiningout,aswellasforphoneconversations.AllthiswouldhaveinfuriatedAnnaJarvis,whoisofficiallycreditedwithhavingbegunMother'sDay.Shesawitasadaytohonormothersinanintimatesettingandmanner.Allthecommercialismarounditissomethingshefeltcheapenedtheholiday,althoughshewasquitenaivetonothaveknownthatanyspecialoccasionwouldeventuallyproducetheseresults.OriginsofHonoringMothersThetraditionofhonoringmothers,however,isarevivalofapracticethatdatesbacktotheGreekempire.TheancientGreeksdedicatedtheirannualspringfestivaltoRhea,thewifeofCronusandmotherofvariousdeities.TheRomanscalledthiseventtheHilaria,bymakingofferingsinthetempleofCybele,themotherofthedeities(samemother)ontheIdesofMarch.EarlyChristianscelebratedthefestivalonthefourthSundayinLentinhonoroftheVirginMary,theMotherofChrist.Theyadornedthechurcheswithflowers,jewels,richmetals,andexpensivegifts.InEngland,anecclesiasticalorderdecreedthisdayasMotheringSunday,expandingtheholidaytoincludeallmothers.BesidesattendingchurchservicesinhonoroftheVirginMary,childrenwent'a-mothering,'returninghomefromthecitieswithgifts,flowers,andspecialcakes.Englandwasoneofthefirstcountriestosetasideadaytorecognizemothers.AlthoughmanyofthecustomsandbeliefsofEnglandweretransferredovertothisAnglocountry,thiswasoneofthemthatwouldnotbecelebratednationallyinAmericauntilthe1900's,althoughitdidexisttosomeextentinsomesmallpockets.America&EarlyAttemptsatMother'sDay.IntheUnitedStates,JuliaWardHowesuggestedtheideaofMother'sDayin1872.Howe,whowrotethewordstotheBattleHymnoftheRepublic,sawMother'sDayasbeingdedicatedtopeace.Inaddition,onMay13,1877,thesecondSundayofthemonth,JulietCalhounBlakeleysteppedintothepulpitoftheMethodist-EpiscopalChurchandcompletedthesermonfortheReverendMyronDaughterty.Allegedly,Daughtertywasdistraughtbecauseananti-temperancegrouphadforcedhissontospendthenightinasaloon.Proudoftheirmother'sachievement,CharlesandMosesBlakeleyencouragedotherstopaytributetotheirmothers.Inthe1880'stheAlbionMethodistchurchbegancelebratingMother'sDayinBlakeley'shonor.MaryTowlesSasseen,aKentuckyschoolteacher,beganMother'sDaycelebrationsasearlyas1887.In1904,FrankHeringofSouthBend,IndianabeganeffortstohaveadaysetasidefortheobservanceofMother'sDay.AnnaM.Jarvis-theFounderofAmerica'sMother'sDayNoofficialMother'sDayexisteduntilthetwentiethcentury,whenAnnaM.Jarvis,aPhiladelphiaschoolteacher,beganorganizinganationalmovementfortheestablishmentofsuchaday.Thiswasdoneinhonorofamothertowhomshewasdevoted.AnnaMariaReevesJarvisThatmother,AnnaMariaReevesJarvis,organizedaseriesofMothers'DayWorkClubsinWebster,Grafton,Fetterman,Pruntytown,andPhilippi,(WestVirginia)toimprovehealthandsanitaryconditions,beforethebeginningoftheCivilWar..DuringtheCivilWar,AnnaJarvisurgedtheMothers'DayWorkClubstodeclaretheirneutralityandtoaidbothUnionandConfederatesoldiers.Theclubstreatedthewoundedandregularlyfedandclothedsoldiersstationedinthearea.Herhardworkwasallthemoretouchingwhileconsideringthepersonallossesshewasgoingthroughherself.Fourofherchildrendiedduringthewar,andeightofhertwelvechildreninalldiedbeforereachingadulthood.Neartheendofthewar,theJarvisfamilymovedtothelargertownofGrafton,WestVirginia.Naturally,asWestVirginiansfoug...
