October 17 th 2010 Mother's Day

2. October 17th 2010 Mother's Day • Historians believe that our modern day tradition of honoring our mothers dates back to the ancient cultures of Greece and Rome. • Mother goddesses were worshipped in both of these cultures during the spring and in religious festivals.

3. The celebration of Mother's Day as a holiday in the United States is attributed to Mrs. Anna Jarvis, who dedicated her life to promoting the holiday. She was inspired by her own mother's devotion to the raising of a family of eleven children. • On the second anniversary of her mother's death, the second Sunday in May, Anna Jarvis convinced her mother's parish in West Virginia to hold a celebration of Mother's Day.

4. The church was decorated with her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation, a symbol of sweetness, purity and endurance. • Mother's Day - the day of flowers The white carnation was originally worn to symbolize a mother who has passed away and a red carnation for one who is living.

5. However, many other flowers are now accepted as being significant on Mother's Day. In 1910, West Virginia officially recognized Mother's Day, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it a national holiday. Mrs. Anna Jarvis and daughter Anna Jarvis

6. Mother's Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries around the world, but not all nations celebrate on the same day. • In the United States, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. • Many other countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia and Belgium also celebrate Mother's Day on the same day as the United States. • England, however, celebrates Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent. • And in Argentina it is the third Sunday in October. • International Mother's Day is actually celebrated on May 11.

7. Mother's Day is a time for honoring and thanking our own mothers for giving us life, raising us and being a source of emotional support and love.