On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint Resolution passed by Congress to establish Mother’s Day as a national holiday.

Julia Ward Howe, a Boston pacifist and author, originally promoted Mother’s Day in the early 1870s to encourage peace and the recognition of mothers. However, the observance of a national Mother’s Day is generally credited to Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor the memory of her deceased mother.

Jarvis dedicated herself to establishing a national Mother's Day. She believed that mothers deserved a day of remembrance specifically for them. At first, Jarvis’s ideas were ridiculed by many. Some stated that if a Mother’s Day was created then people would want a Father’s Day, Son’s Day, Nephew’s Day, etc. However, Jarvis continued to fight for her cause.

Over time, the idea of a national Mother’s Day caught on across the country, and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed House Joint Resolution 263 to establish a Mother’s Day in the U.S.

Jarvis emphasized that Mother’s Day should be a day of sentiment and not a day of profit for companies. Jarvis opposed the selling of flowers and greeting cards. Instead, Jarvis advocated that sons, daughters, husbands, and others should write personal letters and spend time with their mothers.

However, the commercialization of Mother’s Day rapidly grew. In fact, Mother’s Day became so commercialized by the early 1920s that Jarvis filed a lawsuit against the New York Governor to abolish a Mother's Day celebration. Jarvis was even arrested for protesting against the commercialization of Mother’s Day.

Today, Mother's Day is held on the second Sunday in May in the United States each year. Mother’s Day is also one of the most commercialized days in the year. For example, it is one of the most popular days to dine out and one of the highest consumer spending days. People generally exchange gifts, flowers, cakes, jewelry, and cards – lots of cards. In short, Mother’s Day has become a "Hallmark" holiday. On this year’s Mother’s Day, maybe take a moment to remember its founder, Anna Jarvis, and do something special for your mother – such as writing a personal letter for your mother, going to church with her, or just spending some quality time together.