Julia Ward, a social activist brought the idea of a Mother’s Day celebration to the US from the United Kingdom. Their idea of Mothering Day was somewhat different than our modern Mother’s Day. Julia Ward hoped the idea would united women against war.

Another social activist, Ann Jarvis, worked to promote the health and safety of workers. She organized women during the Civil War to help take care of wounded soldiers on both sides of the war. She began promoting the idea of a “Mother’s Work Day” to foster peace and social activism.

In 1905 Ann Jarvis died. Two years later, to honor her mother, Anna Jarvis passed out 500 white carnations at her mothers church, one for every mother in the congregation. Unknowingly, she began a long tradition of honoring mothers by giving Mother’s Day flowers. The following year she held another memorial for her mother and, on May 10th began to promote the idea of making Mother’s Day an official holiday. After several years of work, she succeeded. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day an official holiday.

Carnations quickly became the Mother’s Day flower of choice, and the custom was to wear a white carnation on Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis had originally selected carnations because they were the favorite flower of her mother. She selected the color white because it symbolized the purity of a mother’s love.

The problem with this custom was that it caused a shortage of white carnations. Florists adapted to the problem by encouraging people to wear a red carnation if their mother was living and a white carnation if their mother had passed on. Once again, the Mother’s Day flower tradition changed.

Nine years after Mother’s Day became an official holiday, it had become extremely popular, and very commercial. Anna Jarvis was very opposed to the new commercialization. What she intended as more of a religious occasion became an event celebrated by the giving of Mother’s Day flowers, cards and gifts.

Both Anna and Ellsinore, her sister. Spent all their money and the rest of their lives fighting the new Mother’s Day holiday. Anna Jarvis was an activist until the end of her life. Just before her death in 1948 Anna was arrested as she protested the over commercialization of the holiday she created.

Even today the practice of giving Mother’s Day flowers continues to evolve. The rules for giving Mother’s day flowers are wide open. Any color or type of flower is acceptable. Gifts are quite popular as well. The practice of dining out on Mother’s Day is immensely popular too. Especially among Moms.