Taylor Schmalz aims to reshape the narrative around Mother’s Day by focusing on its founder, Anna Jarvis. Schmalz, who directs collections at Historic St. George, seeks to highlight Jarvis’s original vision for the holiday, emphasizing its heartfelt intent over its commercialization. This discussion will take place on Saturday as part of the Firstival series at the Historic St. George Museum and Archives in Philadelphia.
Anna Jarvis and Her Vision for Mother’s Day
Anna Jarvis’s commitment to celebrating mothers stemmed from her relationship with her own mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. Ann Maria, who gave birth to 13 children in Grafton, West Virginia, was known for her efforts to combat diseases that claimed young lives before the Civil War. This inspired the formation of Mother’s Day Work Clubs, which were designed to support mothers through illness and hardship.
In the early 1900s, Jarvis moved to Philadelphia and became involved with the Old St. George’s Methodist Church. Despite taking a job in advertising, her deep love for her mother drove her to advocate for a day honoring mothers. Following her mother’s passing on May 9, 1905, Jarvis launched a campaign that ultimately led to the first Mother’s Day celebration.
The First Public Celebration
- On May 10, 1908, Jarvis orchestrated the first public recognition of Mother’s Day.
- She sent 500 carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, to her mother’s church in West Virginia.
- That day, she expressed gratitude to mothers in Philadelphia’s Wanamaker Building.
Jarvis’s initiatives garnered support from notable figures, including John Wanamaker and James Elverson. By May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday, solidifying its observance as the second Sunday in May.
Commercialization and Jarvis’s Opposition
Despite the widespread celebration, Jarvis grew increasingly frustrated with the commercialization of Mother’s Day. Florists raised prices on carnations, and commercial interests overshadowed the holiday’s genuine sentiment. Jarvis criticized the practice of giving printed cards instead of personal letters, arguing that it diminished the holiday’s original meaning.
- Jarvis encouraged the gifting of American flags instead, but prices for those soared too.
- In 1925, her protests led to her arrest when she attempted to halt the sale of carnations.
Legacy and Reflection
Jarvis, who never married or had children, passed away on November 24, 1948, blind and residing in a West Chester sanitarium. Schmalz reflects that Jarvis’s passionate defense of the holiday was often misconstrued. Instead of focusing on her anger over commercialization, it’s essential to appreciate her dedication to the beauty of motherhood.
This Saturday’s Firstival at Historic St. George Museum and Archives will celebrate Jarvis’s mission to honor mothers meaningfully and authentically. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 326 New Street.
El-Balad encourages attendees to remember the true essence of Mother’s Day, rooted in love and appreciation as envisioned by Anna Jarvis.
