Mother’s Day and flowers just go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, when I hear the words, “Mother’s Day”, I am immediately reminded of flowers. When we were youngsters every Mom wore a corsage to church on Mother’s Day Sunday. We always bought Mom some type of blooming plant that she was very happy to display on our patio or plant in the flowerbed. Mother’s Day week is one of the busiest weeks of the entire year for garden centers and other plant retailers. This edition of the Scoop gives you “the Scoop” on how Mother’s Day came to be.

Mother’s Day, created from differing origins, is celebrated around the world on various days of the year. Some believe the earliest history of Mother’s Day originated in ancient Greece with the annual spring festivals dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and in Rome with celebrations for Cybele, the Great Mother of Gods. Early Christians celebrated the Mother’s festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honor Mary, the Mother of Christ. This led to a celebration of all mothers that came to be known as “Mothering Sunday” in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Unfortunately, the early colonists in America did not continue the holiday but our modern day holiday is loosely tied to the early Mothering Day tradition.

Mother’s Day was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" in 1872 when she organized a day for mothers dedicated to peace. Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, who in 1858 organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it "Mother's Work Day."

In 1905 when Anna Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother's day. There are many days for men, but none for mothers."

Anna began to lobby prominent businessmen like John Wannamaker, and politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna's mother in 1907, at her church in West Virginia, Anna handed out her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation. Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother's Day. In 1914 Anna's hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday.

This Mother’s Day, give Mom something she can remember you by for the entire year. Although it is too late to send live plants from Cottage Farms, it is not too late to send her a Gift Certificate by email that she can use to purchase what she would like. It is the perfect gift and the best way to show Mom how much she means to you and how much you appreciate all she has done over the years. You may never be able to repay her for everything she has done but showing your gratitude will let her know you care and that she did a great job raising you!

Thought for the week!

~ Anonymous ~