Time to Say…Happy Mother’s Day!

By Jan Edwards

It’s back again – Mother’s Day – the day we venerate the mothers in our lives. But, have you ever stopped to think how this holiday celebrating mothers began?

Mother’s Day has a varying history – depending on which country you live in. Its roots are thousands of years old and one school of thought says it emerged from mother worship in ancient Greece where they held a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek Gods and was held around the Vernal Equinox. Ancient Romans celebrated another holiday, Matronalia which was dedicated to Juno – and mothers were usually given gifts on this day. In some countries Mother’s Day began as a celebration for Christians – not mothers.

The way we celebrate Mother’s Day in the United States is loosely based on “Mothering Sunday” from the British Isles which began in the 16^th century as a religious holiday where Christians would annually visit their “mother church” on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This meant that children and their mothers would be reunited on this day. Then, during the 17^th century, “Mothering Sunday” featured the reunification of mothers and their children who were separated because the working class had to send off their young children to be employed as house servants. Mothering Sunday fell out of popularity in the 19^th century, only to be reincarnated during World War II, when U.S. servicemen reintroduced the sentimental (and commercial) aspects of the American celebration.

Mother’s Day is celebrated in almost every country worldwide - although it is celebrated on different days. Here in the United States, it falls on the second Sunday of May. But you might be surprised to know that the celebration of Mother’s Day in the Untied States had its roots in the Civil War. The first woman in the United States to hold an official celebration of mothers was Anna Reeves Jarvis In her home state of West Virginia. She instituted Mother’s Work Day in 1858 to raise awareness about local sanitation issues. Then, during the Civil War, Mother’s Work Day expanded its scope to include sanitary conditions on both sides of the battlefield. In 1868, she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.

Meanwhile, the social activist Julia Ward Howe (also the author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic) imported the concept of Mothering Sunday in an attempt to have a national celebration of mothers that honored women’s inclination toward peace. In 1870, she wrote (influenced by Ann Jarvis) the Mother’s Day Proclamation as a call for peace and disarmament. In 1872, Julia Ward Howe instituted and promoted a Mother’s Day for Peace to be held on June 2. This holiday was celebrated the following year by women in 18 cities across the United States and continued for another decade by Bostonian women, but was eventually phased out after Howe stopped underwriting the expense of the celebration.

In 1905, Anna Reeves Jarvis died without creating a national holiday honoring women. Her daughter, Anna Jarvis, swore on her mother’s gravesite that she would fulfill her mother’s lifelong dream. In 1907, Anna launched her campaign in Grafton, West Virginia by handing out white carnations to the women of the church where her mother had taught Sunday school. Then, on May 10, 1908, the same church celebrated Mother’s Day by holding special Sunday Service honoring mothers. By 1909, this tradition had spread to 46 states and Anna left her job and dedicated herself to a full-time letter writing campaign imploring politicians, clergymen and civic leaders to create an official Mother’s Day.

By 1912, Anna’s efforts were rewarded when West Virginia adopted an official Mother’s Day. Then, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson finally declared the very first national Mother’s Day by setting aside one day for American citizens to display the American flag in honor of the mothers whose sons had died in the war. Whether it was the war, or just an idea whose time had come – the idea spread like wildfire across the United States and by 9 years later, Mother’s Day began being commercialized and looked like the holiday we celebrate today. Mother’s Day continues to be the most commercially successful occasion. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the most popular day of the year to dine out.

But we also see other forms of reverence given to our mothers on Mother’s Day. In parts of the United States, it is tradition to plant tomatoes outdoors after Mother’s Day – and not before. And did you know that Mother’s Day is the only day that NASCAR will not run a race on Sunday during the race season? This great Southern sport does this to honor mothers.

But enough of history, it’s time again to appreciate and honor all the mothers in our lives. All of us can celebrate Mother Nature. She gives us the entire wonderful Texas coastline, the fish and crabs, and all the plants, birds and animals that feed our bodies as well as our souls. She gives us the watercolor sunrises and sunsets that fill our minds’ art galleries and she gave birth to this wonderful little river, the San Bernard, which we all love and honor. And, if our luck holds, all of us – from the youngest child, to local, state, and federal officials – can make an installment on what we owe Mother Nature, by putting back our river’s mouth this fall. Happy Mother’s Day, Mother Nature.

For all the mothers in Friends Of the River San Bernard, I raise my glass of ice tea in your honor. I’ve seen some of you playing with your children, teaching them to ski, to fish, to crab – to enjoy life on the river. I’ve seen you patch up scraped knees and cure boredom with a well timed treat. I’ve seen you giving them more of yourselves than you knew you had to give. I’ve seen you feed their bodies and their souls. You may get cards, or flowers or even a dinner out on Mother’s Day - but I know the best Mother’s Day sentiment you get will be that finger painted picture your child proudly presents you which will end up on the refrigerator door for everyone to see. Happy Mother’s Day to you all –your love is inspirational.

And for those of us who are lucky enough to have our mothers still with us – don’t forget to tell them Happy Mother’s Day and honor them in your own way. Take them to dinner, bring them flowers, clean up the house for them or just sit quietly on the porch and share a glass of iced tea, memories and a San Bernard sunset with them. You never know how much time you have with them – or how much you mean to each other. While you have them, hold them close and tell them you love them - often - for none of us knows how long we have on this earth.

My mom used to take all us kids out of the city and into the country every spring - showing us things that money can’t buy. I wish every day that she were still here to see our little house in the country and share our love of this community and our river. I wish I could show her I really did learn how to make Blackberry Jam – or fix her a mess of Trout Amandine. But she has gone on to her reward. That doesn’t keep me from thinking of her, though,  and when I’m alone on Sunday, and whisper, “Happy Mother’s Day”, I know she’s up in heaven somewhere smiling.
 

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.