The Story of Mother's Day
The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be
traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in
honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's,
England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday".
Celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period
leading up to Easter), "Mothering Sunday" honored the
mothers of England.

During this time many of the England's poor worked
as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far
from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of
their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would
have the day off and were encouraged to return home and
spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the
mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a
festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the
celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the
spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from
harm. Over time the church festival blended with the
Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their
mothers as well as the church.

In the United States Mother's Day was first
suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the
words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day
dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized
Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.

In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a
campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis
persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to
celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her
mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year
Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to
ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to
establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by
1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state.
President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official
announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national
holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of
May.

While many countries of the world celebrate their
own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year,
there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy,
Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate
Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

Celebrating Mother's Day
One of the best ways to celebrate Mother's Day is to
give your mom the day off. Let her take it easy and relax
while the rest of the family does the work.

Many families begin Mother's Day with breakfast in
bed. Usually Dad and the Kids will let mom sleep late as
they go into the kitchen and prepare her favorite meal. A
Mother's Day breakfast can consist of anything your mom
likes.

After the food is cooked arrange everything nicely
on a tray. Don't forget the vase with a single flower. With
spring here, the children can pick a tulip or daffodil from the
garden outside. When everything is ready carefully carry
the tray and mom's favorite sections from the newspaper up
to her bedroom. Cards and small presents from the children
can be placed on the tray before it is presented to mom in
bed.

Many Families make a special Mother's Day dinner
or take mom out to her favorite restaurant for a meal. It is a
good day to let your mom relax and let her see what a
wonderful family she has.

You can have a Happy Mother's Day Banner with your Mother's
name HERE for a one time charge of $25.00 !!!
Any questions or to order email: gerar.frank@gmail.com
or call Frank at (573) 543-5005

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