Annually, on the second Sunday in May, we honour the woman we call Mom. This year, Mother’s Day will be on 14 May.
We all have someone in our lives who are like a mother to us, and today is the perfect opportunity to show her just how much you care. Some shower her with gifts, take her out to a fancy lunch or dinner or make her a card, but, what most mothers really want, is to be surrounded by the love of her family. A mom’s number-one priority is knowing the people she loves are safe, sound and healthy.
Mother’s Day has been celebrated around the world since, well, since motherhood started. Julia Ward Howe inspired the first movement towards a mother’s day during the Civil War. After witnessing the devastation left by the war, she went on an international crusade, appealing to the public for a Mother’s Day for Peace. She was acknowledged posthumously in 1988 for her achievements and efforts for women’s rights, even though her efforts for an official observance while she was alive were never recognised.
Anna Jarvis was successful in introducing Mother’s Day in 1905. She was the daughter of Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, who had followed Howe’s campaign. Her mother died on 9 May 1905 and she missed her terribly, which led her to start a dedicated letter-writing campaign to declare an official Mother’s Day. The first Mother’s Day was celebrated on 10 May 1908 through the Andrews Methodist Church in California.
The day, honouring Anna Jarvis’ mother, grew into a National Observance until every state participated in 1911. On 9 May 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday which was to be held on the second Sunday of May.
To celebrate, make sure your mom is being spoilt and that her needs are put first for the whole day. Bring her some breakfast in bed, a cup of coffee or tea, allow her to relax and spend the day doing the things she enjoys most.
Use #Mother’sDay to post on social media.
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