Don't Forget Your Mom!

The first American Mother’s Day came about when Julia Ward Howe made a Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on mothers to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers. Howe initially funded many of these celebrations, but most of them died out once she stopped footing the bill. The city of Boston, however, would continue celebrating Howe’s holiday for 10 more years.

In 1908 in West Virginia, Anna M. Jarvis petitioned the superintendent of the church where her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday School. Her request was honored, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church. The event drew 407 people and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations — her Mother’s favorite flower — to adorn the patrons. Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to mothers who are still alive.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson created the national observance of Mother's Day, to take place on the second Sunday in May every year.

According to Hallmark, 96% of American consumers take part in shopping on Mother's Day, while retailers report it as the second highest gift giving day of the year behind Christmas.

Information taken from http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/about-mothersday/history/.