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Holidays and Observances - What Is The History Of Mothers' Day In The United States?

What is the history of Mothers' Day in the United States?

Although Mother's Day became an official American holiday in 1914, a special day for honoring mothers has long existed in many countries. In England during the 1600s, Mothering Day took place on the fourth Sunday in Lent (the forty days before Easter). Many people who were poor and worked far from home as servants had little time off of work. Mothering Day gave them the time to visit their mothers. They took a "mothering cake" to mark the special visit.

In 1872 American writer and reformer Julia Ward Howe (1819–1910) suggested the idea of Mother's Day. She suggested setting aside June 2, not only as a time for children to show appreciation their mothers, but also as a day dedicated to peace. Though Howe organized a Mother's Day meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, the idea did not catch on until the 1900s. In 1907 Anna Jarvis (1864–1948) of...

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