Anna Jarvis: The Woman Who Rued Birthing Mother’s Day
To recognise the importance of mothers, we celebrate Mother's Day, a special occasion dedicated to the often underappreciated mothers in a male-dominated world. As we commemorate this day, let's explore its origins, reasons for celebration, and other relevant facts.
Mother's Day began in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial in honour of her mother, Ann Jarvis, a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War. The gathering took place at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which is now known as the International Mother's Day Shrine.
Anna Jarvis advocated for a national Mother's Day in the United States after her mother's passing in 1905, aiming to celebrate all mothers as foundational figures in families and society. Her persistent efforts led to widespread recognition, and by 1911, most U.S. states observed Mother's Day, with West Virginia, Jarvis's home state, becoming the first to officially declare it a holiday in 1910.
The second Sunday of May was formally established as Mother's Day in the United States when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914, making it a national holiday. Anna picked the second Sunday of May because it would consistently fall near May 9th, the anniversary of her mother's passing.
A significant contributor to the success of the day was its commercial aspect. "Even though Anna never wanted the day to become commercialised, it did very early. So the floral industry, greeting card industry and candy industry deserve some of the credit for the day's promotion," says Katharine Antolini, Associate Professor of History at West Virginia Wesleyan College.
Anna was upset with the skyrocketing of prices of carnations (her mother’s favourite flowers) traditionally gifted to women on the day. This eventually led to her release of a press statement condemning florists. The statement included charity organisations that used the holiday for fundraising under the pretext the funds were meant to help poor mothers.
She even threatened legal action against anyone who marketed it without permission, as she had copyrighted the phrase “Second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day” before it had even become a national holiday. But various industries would dodge Anna’s copyright claims by using the possessive plural spelling ‘Mothers’ Day’ – not her singular form ‘Mother’s Day.’
In her later years, Anna started a door-to-door campaign, collecting signatures to support a petition to abolish Mother's Day – an act that reportedly resulted in 33 pending lawsuits. After her death in 1948, her family honoured her memory by not celebrating Mother’s Day for many generations.
Mother's Day is celebrated worldwide to show appreciation, honour, and love for mothers. The day also recognises the contributions of mothers, acknowledges the strength of maternal bonds, and emphasises the vital role mothers play in society. It serves as a reminder of the invaluable presence of mothers in our lives and highlights the importance of honouring motherly figures across the globe.
Image at Work honours mothers everywhere, acknowledging their contributions to creating a better world and the daily challenges they face in making ends meet. As this month is dedicated to mental health awareness, we encourage all mothers to come together and stand strong in their journey towards mental wellness.