"A Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible".
Marion C. Garretty
Mother's Day is the time of year when children across the globe demonstrate appreciation by offering special gifts and caring gestures to the women whom they call "Mom".
What many don't realize is that there is more to Mother's Day than just flowers, cards, and breakfast in bed.
In fact, the history behind Mother's Day is quite interesting.
The holiday that celebrates Mothers first began in 18th century England, when many people worked as servants.
Sundays were designated as "Mothering Sundays" and gave servants a chance to go home to their moms to eat, relax, and receive some much needed TLC.
The concept of Mother's Day was first introduced in the United States in 1872 by feminist activist Julia Ward Howe, who is also famous for the well known Civil War Song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
Howe tirelessly promoted the idea of a holiday dedicated to motherhood and peace. Although her idea never gained the national attention that Howe hoped for, it was enough to get the ball rolling in the future.
The Mother's Day known in modern times didn't become official until 1915, when devoted daughter, Anna Jarvis pressed congress to set aside one special Sunday a year to acknowledge all that mothers do.
Anna was strongly tied to her mother; a woman who put her home and family needs above all else no matter the cost.
Anna's mother was deeply involved in their West Virginia community, and often expressed the wish for a day to be set aside to celebrate the efforts of moms every where.
Anna and Mrs. Jarvis spent much time in the family garden planting and maintaining Mrs. Jarvis' cherished collection of Carnations.
Later, Carnations would become the official flower of Mother's Day, as Anna believed that they represented a pure love that only a mother could give.
When Anna's mother passed away in 1905, Anna requested the minister at her local West Virginia church to do a special sermon to honor Mrs. Jarvis's memory. The minister not only gave a sermon to honor Anna's mom, but also honored all mothers for the love and devotion given to their families.
The whole concept of taking a day to honor moms was so popular that in 1910, the governor of West Virginia made Mother's Day an official, statewide holiday.
After numerous letters and petitions generated from Anna Jarvis, concerning the matter, the United States Federal Government followed suit and made Mother's Day an official holiday in 1915.
Since then, Mother's Day has become a national holiday in several other countries, such as Japan, Turkey, Denmark, and Italy.
Children of all ages use Mother's Day as an opportunity to express love and appreciation for the wonderful ways that their moms care for them.
Almost 100 years after its formation, Mother's Day still remains an important date for everyone to remember.
