The Origins of Mother’s Day Should Prompt You to Ask New Questions

(SeaPRwire) –   Will you serve breakfast in bed or enjoy brunch out with your mother? Will it be French toast or waffles? And what will you drink: coffee, a mimosa, or both?

These are common and thoughtful questions many people ask their mothers on Mother’s Day—or that mothers themselves pose to their children. While these gestures are kind and meaningful, you might want to consider asking different questions this year—ones that reflect the true origins of Mother’s Day and strengthen your connection to your own mother.

Today’s Mother’s Day traces its roots to Anna Jarvis, born in West Virginia in 1864. She established the holiday following the death of her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. Never married and without children of her own, Anna dedicated herself to honoring her mother’s legacy, which extended far beyond her immediate family.

Ann Maria was believed to have had around a dozen children, but most died from diseases such as measles, which were widespread in Appalachia during her lifetime. Seeking to reduce future losses, she founded “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” with other local women. These groups raised funds to aid families in need, inspected bottled milk and food for safety, and educated neighbors about hygiene practices.

When the Civil War began, Ann shifted her focus to caring for wounded soldiers, insisting that her groups treat both Union and Confederate troops. In 1868, amid ongoing division, she organized a “Mothers’ Friendship Day” aimed at healing community rifts. According to historian Katherine Lane Anatolini, Anna once recalled hearing her mother say, “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother’s day commemorating [mothers] for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it.”

Anna made fulfilling this wish her lifelong mission. She held the first official celebration in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908, then worked tirelessly to persuade governors across the country to adopt the holiday. By the time President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation making it a national holiday, most states had already begun observing it. Anna envisioned sons and daughters visiting their mothers or sending handwritten letters thanking them not just for their contributions within the home, but also for their broader role in society. “This is not a celebration of maudlin sentiment,” she wrote. “It is one of practical benefit and patriotism, emphasizing the home as the highest inspiration of our individual and national lives.”

Both Ann and Anna recognized how deeply personal family life is shaped by larger forces—epidemics, public health efforts, and war—that extend beyond the household. They witnessed firsthand how women often came together to support others inside and outside their families. And they understood the vital importance of this collective effort to the nation’s survival and progress.

Over time, however, Anna grew increasingly disillusioned. She felt Mother’s Day had become overly commercialized, benefiting florists and greeting card companies more than genuinely honoring mothers’ sacrifices and contributions.

This Mother’s Day, consider offering your mother the gift of reflection by asking new questions. How does she view her role as a mother? How does that perspective compare with how her own mother or grandmother saw things? What social, cultural, or scientific changes has she experienced that may have influenced her approach to parenting?

Such questions lie at the heart of historical understanding. By taking time to explore them with your mother, you can give her one of life’s greatest gifts—and pay tribute to the lasting impact of Ann and Anna Jarvis on history.