Anna Jarvis is recognized, without dispute, as the founder of Mother’s Day. She lived most of her adult life in Philadelphia, but Lower Merion has “claimed” her since she died in 1948, and was buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd.
In 1908 Jarvis came up with the suggestion of dedicating the second Sunday in May as a day to honor mothers. And the idea took off like wildfire.
Resolution Declaring “Mother’s Day” Was laughed off the Senate Floor.
On May 8, 1908 – two days before what is now recognized as the first Mother’s Day, Senator Wilbur Burkett of Nebraska introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate calling for May 10 (1908) to be recognized as Mother’s Day and requiring that employees and officials of the senate, on that day, wear a white flower in honor of their mothers.
The following day. The Senate effectively killed the measure by referring it to the Judiciary Committee, by a vote of 33-14.
The New York Times reported that –
The Senate refused to take seriously the resolution introduced by Senator Burkett, setting aside tomorrow as Mother’s Day. The resolution was gravely referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, where it will be permitted to sleep peacefully.
However, without the benefit of a senate resolution, and before the invention of electronic or social media, millions of Americans observed the first Mother’s Day on May 10, 1908.
By 1914, both the Senate and the House had passed a resolution that officially made the second Sunday of every May as Mother’s Day, and President Woodrow Wilson approved the resolution.
First Anna Jarvis was for Mother’s Day, then she was against it.
According to MentalFloss.com –
Years after she founded Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis was dining at the Tea Room at Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia. She saw they were offering a “Mother’s Day Salad.” She ordered the salad and when it was served, she stood up, dumped it on the floor,
left the money to pay for it, and walked out in a huff. Jarvis had lost control of the holiday she helped create, and she was crushed by her belief that commercialism was destroying Mother’s Day.
Jarvis’ conceived of of Mother’s Day as an intimate occasion—a son or daughter honoring the mother they knew and loved—and not a celebration of all mothers. For this reason, she always stressed the singular “Mother’s” rather than the plural. She soon grew disillusioned, as Mother’s Day almost immediately became centered on the buying and giving of printed cards, flowers, candies and other gifts.
Seeking to regain control of the holiday she founded, Jarvis began openly campaigning against those who profited from Mother’s Day, including confectioners, florists and other retailers. She launched numerous lawsuits against groups using the name Mother’s Day, and eventually spent much of her sizable inheritance on legal fees.
A maudlin, insincere printed card or ready-made telegram means nothing except that you’re too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone else in the world. ~ Anna Jarvis
Anna’s great-nephew, the late Ethan Jarvis, was a popular employee at Whole Foods in Wynnewood until his untimely death about two years ago. He was quite proud of his great aunt.
I knew Ethan (Everybody knew Ethan). He was such a sweet guy. But I had no idea about his family history.