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Origin of Mother's Day | Why do we celebrate Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American incarnation of Mother's Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 8, this year. It may surprise you to know that celebrations honoring mothers are ancient traditions, not a Hallmark invention.

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In 16th-century England, this celebration became "Mothering Sunday." Children—mainly daughters who had gone to work as domestic servants—would be given the day off on the fourth Sunday of Lent to return to their mothers and home parish. The eldest son or daughter would bring a "mothering cake," which would be cut and shared by the entire family. Family reunions were the order of the day, with sons and daughters assuming all household duties and preparing a special dinner in honor of their mother. Sometime during the day, the mother would attend special church services with her family. Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their "mother church"—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service.