According to the Library of Congress on-line, Mother's Day was proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on May 9th in 1914. He asked Americans for a public expression of respect toward all mothers on this day. And so, carnations abound, an official day in honor of all mothers was set, and florists and chocolatiers the world over were very happy.
The First and Original Mother's Day
Though carnations have come to symbolize Mother's Day, the real story is in the tenacious and stalwart Anna Jarvis and her mother's life story. Although Anna is credited with most of the legwork that resulted in this national holiday, Mother's Day is really the celebration of the embodiment of her mother's life's work.
Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis is, in fact, a story in and of herself and firmly believed and actively promoted the idea that mothers, and in fact all women, could be powerful forces in their communities. Born in Culpeper, Virginia in 1832, Ann acted upon her beliefs and created Mother's Day Work Clubs that tackled local problems such as poor sanitary conditions and epidemic diseases. And, when the Civil War came to Grafton, these clubs, in a neutrally maternal and altruistic motherly fashion, turned to nursing soldiers on both sides of the war so as not to divide the community.
Ever the productive and industrious leader of the times, she also reportedly organized clubs in Webster, Grafton, Fetterman, Pruntytown, and Philippi. These clubs raised money for medicine, hired women to work for families in which the mothers suffered from tuberculosis, and inspected bottled milk and food.
But Ann was no stranger to tragedy in her own life and lost eight of her twelve children before they reached adulthood. She would not let is sour her spirit, however, and went on to organize the first Mothers' Friendship Day to bring together soldiers and neighbors of all political beliefs. A great success by all accounts, the Mothers' Friendship Day was an annual event in many towns for years following.
Thusly, because of Ann's dream and her daughter's efforts, Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1941.
Mother's Day Facts and Stats
And mothers everywhere deserve it. Important members of society indeed, according the US Census Bureau, in a 2008 report, mothers in the US were 82.8 million strong in 2004. And in 2006, on average, mothers were adding to the population at a rate of 2.1 persons/mother. Utah led this pack with 94.1 births, and Vermont was at the other end of the spectrum with 52.2 births. Other interesting stats associated with Mother's Day includes the following:
- 4.3 million - Number of births in the United States in 2006.
- 25.2 - Average age of women in 2005 when they gave birth for the first time.
- Tuesday - The day of the week with the highest number of births, with an average of 13,169 taking place on Tuesdays during 2005.
- 101,861 - Number of employees in floral shops across our nation who will be especially busy preparing, selling, and delivering floral arrangements for Mother’s Day.
- 12,473 - Number of employees of the 120 greeting-card publishing establishments in 2005.
- 12,854 - The number of cosmetics, beauty supplies and perfume stores nationwide in 2005.
- 29,624 - Number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2005.
Women, Mothers and, the US Workforce
And mothers are an important and substantial part of the workforce as well, as these US Census stats go on to reflect:
- 5.6 million - Number of stay-at-home moms in 2006.
- 55% - Among mothers with infants in 2004, the percentage in the labor force, down from a record high of 59 percent in 1998.
- 55% - The percentage of first-time mothers in the early part of this decade who were working by the sixth month after they gave birth. In the early 1960s, the corresponding percentage was 14 percent.
- 83% - The percentage of mothers who went back to work within a year of their child’s birth who returned to the same employer. Seven in 10 of these women returned to jobs at the same pay, skill level and hours worked per week.
- 10.4 million - The number of single mothers living with children younger than 18, up from 3.4 million in 1970.
So as you consider these stats, remember Ann Jarvis and her life's work. And when you order flowers or send chocolates or even hazard that overpriced, over-booked smorgasbord of chaos and saturated fats known commonly as holiday brunch, turn to mum and say, "happy Mother's Day."
After all, it is a day set aside especially for her...
Jeremy Perkins - The author has a B.A in Journalism and Writing, an M.A. in Information Technology, and enjoys watercolor painting, sports, coding, hiking, ...
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