This year Mother’s Day (or Mothering Sunday) falls on Sunday, 18th March. It is one day out of the year where mother’s all around the world are celebrated and spoiled by their children. Tracing back to ancient Greek times, we see a similar practice where a spring festival, was held yearly in honour of the mother of the gods, Rhea. Similar to this, in the 1600s, early Christians celebrated a day to honour Mary, the mother of Christ. These practices saw the celebration of one mother and were more of a spiritual and religious event. In Christian times, Mary and the “Mother Church” were honoured and people generally revisited the Church they were baptised in. Over time, this practice expanded, honouring all mothers and became known as “Mothering Sunday”. This tradition developed due to class division. Most poor families, had to divide and work away from home, either in apprenticeships or as servants for wealthier families. Generally, they were only granted one day off per year and were encouraged to return home, to spend time with their relatives. This day, was Mothering Sunday, and a tradition of baking a cake to take home to their mothers, became commonplace. The traditional Mothering Sunday, however, subsided over time and was only recognised in a small part in the Church of England. It was in America that Mother’s Day, as we now know it, really began. Nearly 150 years ago, Ann Jarvis a homemaker, organised a day to raise awareness of the poor sanitary conditions within her community and to reunite mothers with their families, who had been separated during the civil war. She organised mother’s to tend the wounded on both sides of the war conflict. It was her intention to make this an annual memorial for mothers. However, Ann Marie Jarvis died in 1905 before her celebration became widespread. In 1870, influenced by Ann Marie Jarvis, social activist Julia Ward Howe, rallied for a “Mother’s day”. Affected by civil war, she attempted to issue a manifesto for peace at the international peace conference in both London and Paris. During the Franco-Prussian war, she made an ‘appeal to womanhood’ to rise up against war. Her day continued in Boston for about 10 years and in 1873 women in 18 cities held “Mother’s Day for Peace” celebrations. Howe championed this cause; however, it died out when she concentrated her attention to other areas of women’s rights and peace. A few years after this, a “Mother’s Day” observance was held on May 13, 1877. Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped up to complete a sermon for Rev. Myron Daughterty as he was said to be distraught over a situation regarding his two sons. From the pulpit, Blakeley called on other mothers to join her. It is told, that her two sons, both travelling salesmen, were so moved by her efforts that they vowed to return yearly in honour of their mother. They urged others to do the same, and in the early 1880s the Methodist Episcopal Church in Albion, set aside the second Sunday in May to celebrate mothers.
The first known public plea for a day to honour mother’s, was made in 1904 by Frank E.Hering but it was Ann Marie Jarvis’ daughter Anna, that would successfully champion “Mother’s Day” as we know it now. Anna, carer to her mother and sister, remained a spinster all her life. Distraught by her mother’s death, it was her belief that children often neglected their mothers whilst they were alive, and she intended to campaign for a day for mothers, to bring families closer together. Anna dedicated her life to the cause, through a letter writing campaign and in 1914, the Presidential Proclamation declared the 2nd Sunday in May, “Mother’s Day”. In the UK, however, the tradition wasn’t revived until US World War II soldiers brought their celebrations to the UK. This American tradition then merged with Mothering Sunday and this day was championed by merchants in the 1950s who saw great commercial opportunity.
Nowadays Mother’s Day has become a widespread occasion, where mother’s are celebrated in several countries all over the world. Traditions have gone beyond the baking of a cake, and mother’s now are showered with gifts, cards and flowers as a way of showing appreciation for all they do. Frame My Name provide a beautiful selection of personalised gifts and cards. One personalised gift that would particularly suit this occasion is the Special Moments Framed Print. This lovely product can feature a selection of your personal photographs and comes in a range of attractive background designs. As well as this, your personalised gift can include personalised wording, and you can write whatever you like. This gift is a perfect gift idea for your mother on mother’s day, or even as a gift for gran, with pictures of all the grandchildren. This gift is a sentimental keepsake, which can be proudly displayed in your home for years to come.
