| Mother's Day is a day near and dear to our hearts at Helping Moms
Connect--not just because we are mothers ourselves, but because we are
fortunate to have strong mothers in our lives.
Origins and History
Many ancient cultures celebrated "Mother's Days." In the United
States, Mother's Day traditions originated during the 19th Century. Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a "Mother's Work Day" to raise awareness of poor economic and health conditions affecting the children in her community.
Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, writer of the Battle Hymn of the Republic,
staged a peace protest to honor mothers who were left without their sons
and husbands as a result of the Franco-Prussian War.
After Anna Jarvis died, her daughter (also named Anna) wished to
create a memorial to her mother's work and began a campaign to institute
an official observance to honor mothers. She asked that white carnations be the official mother's day symbol
because they were her mother's favorite. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the orders that made Mother's Day a national holiday.
White carnations became a symbol of a mother who had died and red
carnations a symbol of a mother still living. Looking for Mother's
Day pictures to print out and color? Kids Coloring Pages has printables
for free! |
