Happy Mother's Day!

Perhaps the origin of Mother's Day goes back to Roman or even prehistoric times.  In prehistoric times, there was a spring Pagan festival, called Hilaria, honoring the mother goddess, Cybele.  Later, during the development of Lent, the fourth Sunday was also called Mothering Sunday, in recognition of Mary.  It became customary for people to offer small gifts or cakes to their mothers on this day. 

In modern times, a woman, Anna Jarvis, introduced the concept of a non-secular celebration of mothers.  Shortly after her own mother died, she started a large letter writing campaign to institute a celebration of mothers.  In response to Jarvis' request, Dr. Howard, a minister in Grafton, West Virginia dedicated a Sunday to mothers.  Mrs. Jarvis' favorite flowers, carnations, were supplied to the parishioners by Anna.  Also on May 10, 1908, a church in Philadelphia inaugurated their Mother's Day celebration with the same practice of supplying their female parishioners with carnations.

In 1914, a resolution was passed in congress establishing the second Sunday in May to be officially recognized as Mother's Day.

** Happy Mother's day to my own mother, to my lovely wife, mother of our wonderful child, and to all "E-Moms" out there!!! ** s