Junior Sitong Chen (Right) when she was younger being held in her mothers (Left) arms.
The second Sunday of May, the third largest holiday in the United States, and a day that at least 85% of men and women in the U.S celebrate—Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate or remember your mother or a similar motherly figure in your life. However, it hasn’t always been this way. Mother’s Day was originally a day for peace activists to fight against the cruelties of war that plagued the world.
In 1870, after the Civil War and fearing the Franco-Prussian War, Julia Ward Howe, an American author, poet, and activist, brought forth her “Mother’s Day Proclamation.” Ward stated that it was meant to be a day for peace and would be celebrated in June. Howe began the celebrations as get-togethers at church, where women and activists would bring a fruit cake known as Simnel Cake. After the meal, the guests would travel through their town or city, promoting peace as anti-war activists.
This lasted until 1908, when Anna Jarvis transformed Howe’s Proclamation into the current holiday after experiencing her mother’s unfortunate death. Jarvis did this so that the day would focus less on peace activism and more on honoring one’s mother, dead or alive. Although Mother’s Day started as an unofficial holiday, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 making it a national holiday.
Many AHS students have little knowledge about the background of Mother’s Day.
“I don’t know a lot, but I know it’s coming up soon,” junior Jacob McKinney said. “I don’t know if it’s a national holiday, and I don’t know much about Mother’s Day. “
Despite people being unaware of its beginning, Mother’s Day celebrations have remained relatively consistent throughout history.
“I believe it’s just a day to express thanks to your Mom,” junior Sitong Chen said. “However, usually I buy flowers, make a card, and I cook for her, typically dinner.”
When Mother’s Day was first created, it was tradition to provide gifts such as bouquets of roses or carnations, accolades, or homemade cards. These remained typical gifts, alongside family dinners. It has also become common for kids to take some of the burden of household chores away from their mothers for the day.
“I feel delighted to have a hearty dinner and receive a bouquet,” Chen’s mother, Huang, said. For her, this makes a perfect Mother’s Day.
Simple things like these have, for a long time, been deeply appreciated by parents. Although most have never even thought about it, the history of Mother’s Day is important to learn about. It helps to better understand why it is celebrated, as well as celebrating and appreciating the day in your family.