Some historians report that the origin of this special observance dates back to the ancient Greece spring celebration of Rhea, the mother of the gods.
In Rome, the Mothers Day festival honored Cybele, another mother of the gods, about 250 years before Christ is born. It was a three day celebration known as Hilaria.
Northern England and Scotland made carlings or pancakes steeped in pease and fried in butter, salt and peppered, to celebrate the special day. Some locations called the special holiday Carling Sunday.
In England, people believed that the early church initiated the holiday to venerate Jesus Christ’s mother, Mary. Others claim that the "mother" church -- responsible for their nurturing, sustenance, and protection -- replaced the mother goddess.
Customs included the young bringing offerings on Mothering Sunday to their precious mothers, such as a small gift or a "mothering cake." "Simnel" was one kind of "mothering cake" handed to their mothers as a special token of appreciation and respect. Simnels were very rich fruit cakes.
In the United States, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) is credited for originating the cherished Mothers Day holiday. A minister’s daughter, she never married and was very close to her mother. Anna was left behind with her blind sister. She missed her mother very much.
In 1907, two years after her mother’s death, Anna M. Jarvis and her friends wrote letters to influential ministers, persuasive businessmen, and noted congressmen, requesting the adoption of a national Mothers Day holiday. Anna felt that mothers deserved to be honored and parent relationships needed more respect.
Anna M. Jarvis gained marked results from her efforts. The first Mothers Day celebration was in 1908 church services. The loving memory of the mother of Anna M. Jarvis, Mrs. Anna Reese Jarvis, was observed in Grafton, West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. White carnations, her mother’s favorite flowers, were placed in the church, symbolizing the dear woman’s purity and strength. Later, white carnations became a symbol for mothers that had passed away, and red carnations represented living mothers.
In 1910, the West Virginia governor proclaimed Mothers Day as an honored holiday. Oklahoma followed that celebration the same year.
By 1911, all of the states in the United States observed Mothers Day. Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, Africa, and South America also recognized the holiday.
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