Friday, May 6, 2016

Victorian America Observes Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day this weekend (at least in the United States). I've become a bit too fascinated with holidays and yearly observations recognized in Victorian-era America. Naturally, I had to look into Mother's Day.

In the U.S.A., Mother's Day (as we know it) wasn't officially declared until 1908, making is solidly Edwardian rather than Victorian.
"The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia." [History.com]
Because carnations were Anna Jarvis's mother's favorite, the white blossoms were declared the occasion-specific flower. But when white grew too scarce to meet the demand, florists convinced customers that pink or red carnations were for living mothers and white were to remember the deceased.



But origins of Mother's Day in America's history go further back than the Edwardian era (first decade of the 20th century). Interestingly enough, the mother Anna Jarvis celebrated, Anna Reeves Jarvis, helped start 'Mother's Day Work Clubs' designed to teach women how to properly care for their children. Their focus was to "improve sanitary conditions and try to lower infant mortality by fighting disease and curbing milk contamination, according to historian Katharine Antolini of West Virginia Wesleyan College." [NationalGeorgraphic.com]

 "These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868, Jarvis organized 'Mothers' Friendship day', at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation." [History.com]



In the last decades of the 19th century, localized celebrations and recognition of Mother's Day occurred in the U.S. and closely resembled today's observances: small handmade gifts, flowers for mother, church attendance, and quiet in-home recognition of love for mother.

In the United States, many different attempts were made to establish a Mother's Day--some were based upon a temperance platform, others to honor women who'd lost sons to war or who were at risk for losing their sons to war. [see Wikipedia

President Woodrow Wilson issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the first Mother's Day (May 9, 1914).

[Image: Public Domain] President Woodrow Wilson signed an official Presidential Proclamation, May 9, 1914

What are your family's favorite Mother's Day traditions?

 
Hi! I'm Kristin Holt. I write Sweet Romance (Rated G and PG) set in the Victorian American West. I blog about all historical subjects surrounding my favorite times and places in America's past, including nearly a full calendar of articles about holiday observances in the American Victorian era. My recent post Victorian America Celebrates Arbor Day contains about one dozen links at the bottom to the other holidays, some of which have appeared here on Sweet Americana Sweethearts.
 
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Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt, LC

8 comments:

  1. Hi Kristin, Thanks for the info on the start of Mother's Day and the gorgeous images. I'll be celebrating the day with my 92 year old mom on Sunday.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Linda. It's a special holiday and a privilege to celebrate and recognize our mothers. Ninety two! What a long-lived lady. =)
      Kristin

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  2. Beautiful. Looking at how we celebrate mothers in the past shows how we still honor them today. Doris/Angela

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Doris/Angela! I so enjoy looking at Victorian observations of holidays. I like knowing how things began as it gives value to today's celebrations.
      Thanks for stopping in!
      Kristin Holt

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  3. Hello, Kristin! This is year 19 without my Mama on Mother's Day. On her last celebration, she'd been in bed a year already and went to be with Jesus that August 2, so she didn't NEED anything, so I wrote her a new song...or rather sang it :) Here are the lyrics:
    You never gave up on me.
    You always believed in me.
    You faithfully guided me and prayed me through the years!
    You kissed away so much pain.
    Together we’d laugh again.
    You listen and understood and wiped away my tears.

    Oh, a mother is a servant. She’s a picture of the King.
    She’s the one who does the dishes and keeps the house so clean.
    And though a mother can’t be perfect,
    Mine seems pretty close to me
    ‘Cause when I see my Mama’s face,
    I see Jesus.

    Our tradition was getting together for dinner. I had her all to myself for eight years :) Then she blessed me with a baby sister then 3 yrs later, a brother and I had to share her :)

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    Replies
    1. What a beautiful gift to your mother, Caryl McAdoo. A treasure she took with her. =) Thank you so much for sharing the love of your mother with us as well as your heartfelt lyrics.
      I don't think we ever stop missing our mothers. It's a precious bond that survives well beyond our lifetimes.
      With love,
      Kristin Holt

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  4. Hello, Kristin! This is year 19 without my Mama on Mother's Day. On her last celebration, she'd been in bed a year already and went to be with Jesus that August 2, so she didn't NEED anything, so I wrote her a new song...or rather sang it :) Here are the lyrics:
    You never gave up on me.
    You always believed in me.
    You faithfully guided me and prayed me through the years!
    You kissed away so much pain.
    Together we’d laugh again.
    You listen and understood and wiped away my tears.

    Oh, a mother is a servant. She’s a picture of the King.
    She’s the one who does the dishes and keeps the house so clean.
    And though a mother can’t be perfect,
    Mine seems pretty close to me
    ‘Cause when I see my Mama’s face,
    I see Jesus.

    Our tradition was getting together for dinner. I had her all to myself for eight years :) Then she blessed me with a baby sister then 3 yrs later, a brother and I had to share her :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (I don't dare delete this duplication as I love technology but don't trust it not to fail me. =) I hesitate to accidentally remove Caryl's original post as they appear to be the same.)

      Delete