By Kathy Bolano, Communications Intern
Mother’s Day as we know it was founded in the United States by Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. It’s first celebration was the second Sunday in May in 1908 in a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. Her efforts for achieving a federally recognized “Mother’s Day” were accomplished when President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation in 1914.
Unfortunately, the popularity of Mother’s Day resulted in the mass commercialization of the holiday, and Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her days fighting against the very day that she fought so hard to create. The Mother’s Day she envisioned was one of thought filled handwritten letters and real sentiment, and instead she felt that the meaning was lost to mass produced generic products.
Today, Mother’s Day is often celebrated with flowers, cards and other gifts to mothers and women in caretaker roles–and there is no loss of sentiment. It is a day where the family gets together to celebrate and appreciating the women who brought them into the world.
We, at the Niagara Foundation, would like to extend our thanks to all the mothers of the world and wish you a heartfelt Happy Mother’s Day!