Considering all that they do for all of us, every day should be Mother’s Day. But today, it’s official — Mother’s Day, 2023.
Moms are the most influential people in our lives. George Washington once said: “ My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her.”
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but a national day of observance for moms was advocated and campaigned for by a West Virginian — Anna Jarvis. Jarvis had no children of her own, but she took up the cause in remembrance of her own mother. Anna Jarvis spent years working to provide resources for poor mothers in West Virginia.
Her campaign finally paid off when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation declaring Mother’s Day an official holiday on May 9, 1914.
It should be noted that a Mother’s Day was first proposed in 1870 by the same woman who wrote the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” After the Civil War, Julia Ward Howe suggested a Mother’s Day to recognize peace and protest war. She organized annual events in Boston to honor mothers, but nothing official ever came of her efforts.
Mother’s Day is typically the busiest day of the year for restaurants — topping even Valentine’s Day. So if you’re looking for a gift for your mom, according to a survey by RetailMeNot, what moms want most for Mother’s Day is to dine out with her family.
We often say that a lot of people that go to church are CEOs — they go on Christmas, Easter and one other time during the year. But it turns out that many people will start their Mother’s Day celebration by attending church with their moms — making Mother’s Day the third-most attended church service behind Easter and Christmas.
Many countries have a version of Mother’s Day, but of course the traditions vary depending on where you are. In Ethiopia, Mother’s Day is a three-day festival that involves lots of food and singing. In Thailand, parades are held in honor of moms, with jasmine given out as a common gift….
It’s estimated that there are 2.2 billion moms worldwide, with 85 million residing in the United States.
Happy Mother’s Day.
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