Mother’s Day in the United States was established by Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century to honor her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who had been a peace activist caring for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War. The first official Mother’s Day service was held in 1908 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Despite her success in establishing the holiday, Anna Jarvis became disillusioned with its commercialization. She believed the day’s original intent—to honor mothers through personal acts of appreciation—was being overshadowed by profit-driven motives. Jarvis spent her later years campaigning against the commercialization of Mother’s Day, even facing arrest for her protests.
