History of Mother's Day

• Mother's Day has its roots in 17th century American history. The concept and origin of Mother's Day was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young homemaker who, during the Civil War attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days; she basically organized women to work for better sanitary conditions. When Jarvis died in 1907, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in West Virginia on May 10, 1908 in the church where Ann Jarvis taught Sunday School. From there, the origin of Mother's Day custom caught on – spreading eventually to 45 states.

  The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914, the U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution, and President Woodrow Wilson signed it, establishing Mother's Day, emphasizing women's role in the family. Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.

  Today, the International Mother's Day Shrine still stands at that church in West Virginia where the first unofficial Mother's Day celebration was held.

  Currently, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Mother's Day Gifts

• Moms generally enjoy boxes of chocolate and flowers, and those are perfectly acceptable Mother's Day gifts. Buy a box of pre-arranged favorites like caramels or nut assortments and wrap it in her favorite color paper. For a more personalized Mother's Day floral compilation, go to the flower shop and create your own assortment of her favorite blooms and arrange them in a vase of her favorite color. Complement the arrangement with bows and lots of greenery. If your Mom has a green thumb then pick her up a nice house plant – they last longer than flowers and she'll always be reminded of you as she cares for it!

  For a more thoughtful and less traditional Mother's Day gift accent that she will cherish, think of her hobbies. Does she golf? Knit or craft? Walk in the park? Read? Get a custom Mother's Day gift that accommodates her passion whether it be 18 holes at her favorite course, a new beading kit, a new pair of walking shoes or a bookstore gift card.

  A picture is worth a thousand words, and the memories they bring back are priceless. Anything with a picture in it also says Happy Mother's Day in a way Mom can stay reminded of. Photo gifts are a unique idea that she will always love. Try a photo keepsake box, photo mug, photo keychain, photo coasters, hard cover photo book with a compilation of childhood and adulthood family photos, or a deck of personalized photo playing cards.

  Another thoughtful Mother's Day gift idea? Make a donation in her name to her favorite charitable cause.

Mother's Day Gift Baskets

• If you're looking to spend a bit more for Mother's Day, there are tons of pre-made and custom Mother's Day gift baskets out there. You can find everything from gardening gift baskets and tea and cookie gift baskets to cooking gift baskets and golf gift baskets. It will be fun for Mom to leaf through the gift basket and find goodie after goodie in there!

  A homemade Mother's Day gift basket will also speak volumes to any mother. Try filling up a nice woven basket or colorful boutique gift box with her favorite fruits and cheeses, mementos or cards you have saved, framed pictures of the family, small extended family photo albums, her favorite pampering products (lotions, bubble bath, etc), and her favorite chocolate candy bars wrapped in printable, personalized add-a-photo candy wrappers. Complement your homemade Mother's Day gift basket with special Mother's Day coupons, redeemable for a free house-cleaning, gardening date, warm homemade dinner, night at the movies, or car wash. Don't forget to add emebellishments like bows or fersh flowers to the homemade gift basket. The true spirit of sentimentality is sure to warm her heart.

Mother's Day Cards

• Now for the most important part of the Mother's Day gift – the greeting card. Complement your thoughtful gift with a customized, printable Mother's Day card that tells your Mom exactly what she means to you. On the morning of Mother's Day (or the day before), send a Mother's Day ecard as a reminder of the celebration to come.

  So many of us wonder what to write in a Mother's Day ecard or card. Creating masterpiece Mother's Day poems, reciting popular verses, and writing Mother's Day card sayings can be tough if you aren't exactly a wordsmith. You know what you want to tell her but you just can't find the words, right? Click on the links for help with Mother's day poems and Mother's Day card sayings if you aren't sure what to write in a Mother's Day card.

  There is a fun variety of printable Mother's Day cards available at AmericanGreetings.com, so you're bound to find the absolute perfect sentiment. Choose from:

  • heartfelt
  • simple
  • trendy
  • inspirational
  • cute
  • funny
  • religious
  • romantic
  • traditional
  • add-a-photo
  • Christian
  • Cartoon characters
  • Chicken Soup for the Soul