Guide Note

Mother's Day is a widely celebrated holiday honoring the care and devotion of mothers. In America, it is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, and was losely inspired by the British version of the holiday, brought over by activist Julia Ward Howe, who used the day to voice political opposition to war. The American version of the holiday is said to be the result of work by Anna Marie Jarvis, who devoted her life to the establishment of a national Mother's day. Mother's Day was officially declared by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 as a day for Americans to show honor to mothers who had lost their children to war.

Fast Facts

1. Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday of May
2. Inspired by Mothering Day in Britain
3. Many countries celebrate "Women's Day" rather than "Mother's Day"
4. Most popular holiday to dine out, according to the National Restaurant Association

Some people have become disappointed by the commercialization of the holiday, going so far as to refer to it as a "Hallmark Holiday." One of the leading advocates of Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, was so disappointed by the commercialization of the day that she became one of its major opponents. Some women's organizations, such as Code Pink, are using the day similarly to it origins, by protesting wars and social inequality.