by Trish Rudder
Here in West Virginia, we have a lot to be thankful for in celebrating Mother’s Day in the United States.
In 1907 in Grafton, Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day service of worship at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church where it was celebrated, and the church still serves as the International Mother’s Day Shrine.
The “shrine to all mothers” stands as a monument to Mother’s Day and became the International Mother’s Day Shrine on May 15, 1962.
Jarvis had campaigned for two years to recognize Mother’s Day as a national holiday to memorialize her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who died in 1905.
Her mother had been a peace activist who cared for both Union and Confederate wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Her mother also created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to speak to public health issues.
In 1908, the federal government rejected a proposal to make Mother’s Day an official holiday, but by 1911 all the states observed the holiday.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Jarvis, who had no children, said Mother’s Day is the occasion for honoring the sacrifices individual mothers made for their children.
Jarvis started Mother’s Day as a liturgical service but resented the commercialization of the holiday when it became associated with the phrase “Hallmark holiday” when Hallmark Cards and other companies began selling Mother’s Day cards.
She believed the companies had misinterpreted and exploited the idea of Mother’s Day and that the holiday’s focus should be on sentiment, not profit.
Jarvis began fighting back and threatened lawsuits against the companies.
“People should appreciate and honor their mothers through handwritten letters expressing their love and gratitude instead of buying gifts and pre-made cards,” she was said to have remarked.
photos by Kate Shunney
When her mother Ann Reeves Jarvis died, Anna Jarvis placed white carnations – her mother’s favorite flower – on her grave. Jarvis was angered when carnations became associated with Mother’s Day.
Jarvis continued to protest against making a profit from Mother’s Day, and at a 1925 meeting of the American War Mothers, she was arrested for disturbing the peace because the organization was selling carnations to raise money.
Today Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and has evolved to recognize the diverse roles of mothers and women who serve in motherly roles for others.
One way to honor Mom is to prepare her favorite meal that was passed down and tell uplifting stories to celebrate her love.
