Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, is for most people an important holiday, as it should be. In a child’s life, mom is often the most important person, and that importance can grow even stronger into our adult years. 

The holiday started back in 1868, when Ann Jarvis organized a committee to establish “Mother’s Friendship Day”, the purpose of which was “to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War.” Now, not everything was easy for Jarvis and her colleagues, as it wasn’t until the late 1870s early 1880s that they received attention.  Jarvis died in 1905, before Mother’s Day became a national celebration, but her daughter, Anna, did not allow her mother’s hard work go to waste. 

In 1907, Anna held a memorial service for her late mother in her old church in Grafton, West Virginia. Five years later, nearly every state was observing the day. It was on May 9th 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. 

Contrary to popular belief, Mother’s Day is not just a U.S. holiday. It is celebrated in almost every other country in the world, with over half of the globe following the US in celebrating on the second Sunday of May, with 40% of the other countries celebrating on either the first or last Sunday of the month. 

With the holiday picking up a sensational amount of steam in just one short century, 95% of the American population now celebrates Mother’s Day.

In countries such as Peru, where NASH junior Mateo Reyes was born, the holiday is just as popular.

“Mother’s Day means so much to me,” Reyes said. “I grew up with my mom and did everything with her. She made me the person I am today.”

Peruvians celebrate the holiday joyously.

“All the families go out to restaurants,” Reyes explained. “Sometimes we have parties with the entirety of our families and then exchange our gifts with all the mothers, and those gifts are usually expensive.”

On the other hand, NASH junior Rylee Rakers and her family take a simpler route.

“My family’s approach to Mothers Day is letting our mom sleep in, waking her up with a big bouquet of flowers, and then taking her to brunch.” 

Regardless of how we celebrate, today is ultimately about showing our appreciation for the women that mean the most to us. 

“It’s a day to celebrate the unconditional love and support that mothers provide,” Rakers said.