Mother’s Day is almost upon us, which means now’s the time to turn your full attention to that very special lady in your life. Honouring your mum this Mothering Sunday – which takes place on Sunday 27th March in the UK this year – is a tradition many of us hold dear. But contrary to popular belief, this popular annual occasion isn’t as historic as you may think.
Here we delve deeper into the history of Mother’s Day as we approach this very special event.
Whilst many mothers will argue that they should be honoured every day, the official Mother’s Day is a special event in the calendar for mothers of all ages. The holiday isn’t as old as you might think however, and can only be officially traced back globally to the early 20th century.
It was a woman called Anna Jarvis who first campaigned to make Mother’s Day an official event following the death of her own mother in 1905. Anna’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, was a passionate campaigner in her own right and a pillar of the community. She worked hard to support women within the local community and helped many charitable causes. Ann even cared for injured troops (both home and enemy) during the Civil War.
Her daughter Anna got her wish three years later when a memorial was hosted for her mother. It was the very first large scale celebration of its kind.
Following this initial celebration is Anna’s hometown in West Virginia, Anna stepped her campaign up a notch. She became even more determined to ensure Mother’s Day was officially recognised and in the years that followed word of Anna’s Mothering Sunday movement spread and more events were held throughout the United States of America.
Then-president Woodrow Wilson made the celebration official by declaring that the second Sunday of May should be Mother’s Day every year.
In the UK, Mother’s Day has more far reaching, religious roots. It’s been celebrated in the UK since the Middle Ages when children who had left their families for work returned to their homes with flowers to gift to their mothers.
As a result, we celebrate Mother’s Day on a different date than the US and many other countries around the world.
The tradition of honouring mothers everywhere on Sunday is still going strong today. Children of all ages are finding new and more innovative ways to celebrate their mums and mark the special occasion in their own ways.
If your mum is particularly green-fingered, you’ll want to take a look at our collection of garden gifts. They’re made for Mother’s Day and lovingly crafted to ensure your mum can treasure her Mother’s Day gift for years to come.