Celebrating women who nurture, guide, and care for others in ways, is a steadfast tradition in May. A Virginia woman, Anna Jarvis, was inspired to create this personal holiday for women all over the United States, setting into motion a day of appreciation, flowers and gifts. When Anna’s mother prayed in Sunday School for a day to recognize the contributions of mothers, young Anna took those words to heart. After her mother’s passing, Anna began petitioning for Mother’s Day to be a recognized holiday on the second Sunday in May which corresponded with the day of her mother’s death. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother’s Day a national holiday.
Jarvis chose white carnations as the symbol of Mother’s Day as it was her mother’s favorite flower. The Jarvis’ garden was full of the simple, yet lovely white flower. On the first unofficial Mother’s Day, Anna gave out the white carnations at church as a symbol of a mother’s eternal love. In modern interpretation, a white carnation honors a deceased mother and the red honors a living mother.
Cards, gifts, and candy often accompany a Mother’s Day celebration. Many well-deserving mothers enjoy these treats on their day of appreciation. However, gifts and materialism were far from what Jarvis had in mind. The newly minted holiday quickly became a means to make money. Appalled by the “charlatans and bandits” that commercialized the holiday, Anna began seeking signatures to repeal Mother’s Day. She copyrighted the saying “Second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day” to discourage the marketing of her prized legacy. To her dismay, some commercial enterprises moved the apostrophe on Mother’s Day to get around the copyright infringement. Therefore, the tradition of showering mothers with store bought items on the second Sunday of May persisted.
Anna Jarvis fought the rest of her life to abolish Mother’s Day and generations of her family stopped celebrating it. While it is understandable why Jarvis’ relatives would shun the commercial festivities, to many today it is a meaningful time set aside to visit or remember their mothers.
If you are looking for ways to celebrate your mom this Mother’s Day, consider joining her at an exercise class, attending a Lunch and Learn, or visiting your local senior center. CareWell classes are free of charge and are available at locations throughout Calhoun County.