History of Mother's Day

Mother's Day is celebrated differently around the world. It appears to have originated in the ancient Greek empire as a spring festival to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses.

In the United States, a more modern Mother's Day is celebrated as the second Sunday in May. The first Mother's Day proclamation in the United States was issued by the governor of West Virginia in 1910. In May 1913, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the President, his Cabinet, members of Congress, and all officials of the federal government wear a white carnation on Mother's Day. On May 8, 1914, Congress passed another Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The US flag is to be displayed on government buildings and at people's homes "as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making Mother's Day an official national holiday.

It is the hope that Mother's Day will remind children to celebrate and appreciate their Mother as well as strengthen family bonds.