The modern celebration of Mother’s Day has deep historical roots, tracing back to ancient Greek festivals honoring Rhea and Roman celebrations of Cybele. In the United States, the holiday was formally established by Anna Jarvis in 1908, who chose the carnation as the official flower to represent a mother’s enduring love. The holiday gained further national prominence in 1934 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt helped design a commemorative postage stamp featuring "Whistler’s Mother." While the American tradition often focuses on the second Sunday in May, international celebrations vary significantly; for instance, Thailand honors mothers in August to coincide with the Queen’s birthday, while several Middle Eastern nations celebrate on the vernal equinox to signify new life.

Beyond its sentimental value, Mother’s Day is a massive economic driver and a peak period for telecommunications. In the United States, it is consistently the busiest day of the year for the restaurant industry, with nearly half of all adults dining out to celebrate. Consumer spending on gifts, jewelry, and electronics regularly exceeds $30 billion annually. Additionally, phone traffic reaches record levels as millions of people place domestic and international calls. Despite this commercial success, the holiday's founder, Anna Jarvis, famously spent the latter half of her life campaigning to abolish the celebration, as she felt the original spirit of personal, handwritten tribute had been overshadowed by commercial interests.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices