Mother's Day - a History
The first Mother’s day was coordinated in 1907 by Anna Jarvis and started very differently than the traditional Mother’s Day we celebrate today. It was a service of worship at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia. The church now serves as the International Mother’s Day Shrine. Jarvis’s campaign to make Mother’s Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died, who had been a peace activist which cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. She had created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. She and another peace activist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe had been urging for the creation of a “Mother’s Day For Peace” where mothers would ask that their husbands and sons were no longer killed in wars for 40 years before it became an official holiday. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor this and to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”.
In 1908, the U.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother’s Day an official holiday. However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all U.S. states observed the holiday, with some of them officially recognizing Mother’s Day as a local holiday. In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.
Mother’s day is May 14th this year! We developed this Mothers Day Gift Guide that will help you to treat mom and support a local business at the same time.
Mother's Day Brunch
Outdoor Festivals
Art in the Garden – Eugene (going on both Saturday and Sunday)
Historic Preservation Month: OSU Walking Tour, Mothers’ Day – Corvallis
Mothers Day Weekend Art Show – Monroe
Mother’s Day Market – Adair Village
Art in the Garden Mother’s Day Festival – The Thyme Gardens
Shopping Ideas
Salon Gift Cards
Go to Mom’s favorite salon and buy her a gift card so she can plan a day to get pampered in the future! Many of our local salons sell products and gifts so you can pick up something nice for Mom to go with a gift card!
Nushka’s Spa – Eugene
The Seasons Spa and Salon – Eugene
Bianca’s Retreat – Skin Therapy & Wellness – Eugene
New Moms
Give that new Momma what she really wants, a photo of her new baby! Shanna Chess Photography to schedule a newborn mini session for Mother’s Day.
Q&A a Day for Moms: A 5-Year Journal Stationery – Capture it all–simply turn to today’s date and take a few moments to answer the question at the top of the page. As the journal fills, it will become a loving record and cherished family keepsake.
Local Boutique Gifts and Gift Cards
Check out the facebook page or website of your local boutique and give them a call if you need help with gift ideas.
Plants and Flowers for Mom’s Garden
Mother’s Day means it’s time for gardening and luckily most local nurseries are open right now! It’s a great time to buy Mom some hanging plants or vegetables for her garden. Most also have gift cards available. You can see a local list from our Spring Gardening blog post.
Give Mom the Gift of Health and Wellness!
The Emerald Valley has all kinds of great workout and yoga studios, and other health and wellness centers. Give mom a gift card or take her to one of these special events:
Online Gifts
I love these rechargeable hand warmers.
Has your mom passed?
Honor your mother that has passed by asking for donations to her favorite charity. After all charity work and peace was what the holiday was designed around. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there!
