The Unanticipated Dread Behind the Origin of Mother's Day
Rewritten:
Get ready to dive into the dramatic, gripping history of Mother's Day – the American version that's usually seen as a bit dull, filled with flowers and card-sending. But what you may not know is that its roots are entwined with the smoke of war, powerful women, and a heart-wrenching battle between profit and principles. Here's the untold saga of Mother's Day – and it's quite a story.
Ancestors of Modern-Day Mother's Day
Moms have been a part of our world for centuries; it's no surprise that we've celebrated them for just as long. These early celebrations can be traced back to ancient Greeks and Romans, who honored mother goddesses like Cybele and Rhea[1][3]. Medieval times saw a shift, with the church promoting "Mothering Sunday," a day dedicated to venerating the Mother Church. However, these holy days aren't the basis for the Mother's Day celebrated today in the United States.
Mother's Day – A Wartime Creation
Mother's Day officially arrived in the United States in 1914, but its origins predate the Civil War. Ann Reeves Jarvis, affectionately known as "Mother Jarvis," was a social activist and community organizer from West Virginia who founded grassroots organizations known as Mothers' Day Work Clubs. These groups were committed to reducing infant mortality by educating women on childcare, hygiene, and disease prevention[1][3].
When the Civil War started in 1861, these clubs focused their efforts on caring for wounded soldiers from both sides. By 1868, with the war finished, Jarvis championed "Mothers' Friendship Day," a day dedicated to reconciliation between former Union and Confederate soldiers[1][3].
This wasn't the only proto-Mother's Day movement happening at the time. Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote a "Mother's Day Proclamation" in 1870, calling on all mothers to unite for world peace. Howe later advocated for a holiday named "Mother's Peace Day" to be celebrated every June 2[1][3]. Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist from Michigan, inspired a local Mother's Day celebration in the 1870s[1][3]. With momentum building, Mother's Day was on its way to becoming a reality. However, Jarvis's death in 1905 would set things in motion.
A Legacy Carried On by Anna Jarvis
Anna Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis's daughter, picked up where her mother left off. In 1908, on the first anniversary of her mother's death, Anna announced plans for a memorial service to celebrate her mother. Inspired by her mother's sacrifices, Anna envisioned a national holiday that honored the love and hard work mothers put into raising their children[2][4].
In 1908, with financial support from John Wanamaker and H.J. Heinz, Anna hosted an official Mother's Day celebration at a church in West Virginia and a department store in Philadelphia – both events were successful and sparked Anna's determination to make the holiday a national institution. The stage was set for a battle between idealism and capitalism.
Mother's Day Goes Commercial
By 1912, Jarvis had quit her job and formed the Mother's Day International Association. This organization partnered with local businesses and launched letter-writing campaigns to persuade government officials to establish Mother's Day. By 1914, several states had adopted Mother's Day as an annual holiday, and President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday that same year[2][4].
What Anna Jarvis saw as a day of sincere appreciation, though, capitalists like John Wanamaker and H.J. Heinz failed to share. They quickly capitalized on the growing interest in the holiday, turning it from a meaningful day honoring mothers into a shopping extravaganza[2].
Ann Jarvis – The Crusader Against Mother's Day
By 1920, Jarvis had turned against her former financial backers, calling for people to boycott purchasing anything for their mothers on Mother's Day and branding anyone profiting off the holiday as "charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers, and termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest, and truest movements and celebrations,”[2] This disdain for the flower industry in particular led to Jarvis throwing a "Mother's Day Salad" on the floor of a Philadelphia eatery[2]. She also wrote in disapproval of restaurants offering Mother's Day specials, greeting cards, candy, and flowers[2].
The flower industry, of course, was the biggest offender. Jarvis's distaste for florists was fervent, and at her own expense, she sent thousands of buttons featuring a picture of a white carnation – the official flower of Mother's Day – to women's groups across the country, encouraging them not to purchase flowers[2]. She threatened a trademark lawsuit against Florist Telegraph Delivery (FTD) for using the combination of carnations and the phrase "Mother's Day," and she protested the U.S. government's Mother's Day stamp because it used a painting, Whistler's Mother, which she interpreted as an advertisement for the flower industry[2].
Jarvis even faced arrest for disturbing the peace when she attempted to physically stop the sale of carnations.
The Demise of the Mother of Mother's Day
Say what you will about her, but Ann Jarvis was committed. By the mid-20th century, she had been reduced to living in poverty in her sister's house in Philadelphia, without any connection to the influence she once held[1]. In her old age, Jarvis spent her time collecting signatures on a petition to abolish Mother's Day completely.
In 1943, when she could no longer afford to pay her bills, Jarvis was committed to the Marshall Square Sanitarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Rumor has it that representatives of the flower and greeting card industry paid her bills there, while others argue it was a gesture of psychiatric care to an important figure in the industry. Either way, Jarvis died on November 24, 1948, in obscurity and without having had children of her own. She took her principles to her carnation-scented grave.
So there you have it – the astonishing tale of Mother's Day, a holiday steeped in activism, motherhood, and reconciliation, which was then transformed into the commercial spectacle it is today. If only Ann Jarvis were here to witness it!
Enrichment Data:
Origins and Early Influences
Ann Reeves Jarvis, a social activist, and community organizer, played a crucial role in the roots of the Mother's Day holiday before the American Civil War. A pivotal figure in her early history, she founded the "Mothers' Day Work Clubs," which aimed to reduce infant mortality by educating women on childcare, hygiene, and disease prevention[1][3].
During the Civil War, Mothers' Day Work Clubs shifted their focus to caring for wounded soldiers from both the Union and Confederate sides. After the war, in 1868, Jarvis initiated "Mothers' Friendship Day" to promote reconciliation by uniting mothers and former soldiers from both sides. Jarvis's peace-focused approach demonstrated the holiday's first social and peace-oriented roots, rather than a straightforward celebration of motherhood[1][3].
Key Figures
- Ann Reeves Jarvis (creator of early social clubs, founder of Mothers' Day Work Clubs, and advocate for reconciliation during the Civil War)[1][3].
- Julia Ward Howe (abolitionist, suffragette, and advocate for "Mother's Day Proclamation," promoting a "Mother's Peace Day" every June 2)[1][3].
- Anna Jarvis (daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, founder of the official Mother's Day holiday in the United States)[2][4].
Summary
- The origins of the American Mother's Day date back to the mid-19th century and Ann Reeves Jarvis, a social activist who founded Mothers' Day Work Clubs and advocated for Mothers’ Friendship Day.
- Key figures involved in the origins and early history of Mother's Day include Ann Reeves Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and Anna Jarvis.
- Mother's Day was initially rooted in social activism, public health, peace, and reconciliation before becoming commercially exploited.
- Anna Jarvis, a dedicated activist, later founded the official Mother's Day holiday, only to later oppose its commercialization, feeling it had strayed from its original intent.
- The roots of modern Mother's Day can be traced back to ancient Greeks and Romans who honored mother goddesses, while the American version celebrated today is surrounded by a compelling, and often overlooked, history entwined with the smoke of war, powerful women, and the heart-wrenching battle between profit and principles.
- After Annes Jarvis, a social activist and community organizer, death in 1905, her daughter Anna picked up the torch, envisioning a national holiday that honored the love and hard work mothers put into raising their children. However, what started as a sincere appreciation transformed into a commercial spectacle.
- Inspired by the growth of Mother's Day, social media and pop-culture began using the holiday as an opportunity for entertainment, perhaps diluting the initial purpose of honoring mothers with a mix of meaningful messages and light-hearted content.
- While the battle over the commercialization of Mother's Day raged on, some organizations continued Jarvis's tradition of sending handmade white carnation buttons along with sentiments for peace, a symbolic act that has carried into the digital age.
- Maybe, just maybe, if social media and pop-culture were more interested in sharing history and true stories instead of entertainment, they could help restore Mother's Day to its original intent – a day of sincere appreciation for the mothers in our lives.
