happy mother’s day

In the U.S. Mother’s Day had it’s origin in West Virginia. Did you know that? The modern Mother’s Day holiday was created by Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, as a day to honor mothers and motherhood.

On May 12, 1907, two years after the death of her own mother, Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her and embarked upon a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday. She succeeded in 1914 when the day became nationally recognized. By the 1920s, Anna Jarvis had become soured by the commercialization of the holiday. She and her sister Ellsinore spent their family inheritance campaigning against the holiday. Both died in poverty.

Jarvis, says her New York Times obituary, became embittered because too many people sent their mothers a printed greeting card. As she said,

A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A petty sentiment!

Anna Marie Jarvis never married and had no children. (Wikipedia)