Enjoy these twelve Fun Facts about mother’s day from House Beautiful:
1. Ancient Greeks held spring festivals to honor mothers.
Although it wasn't like the Mother's Day celebrations we have today, the ancient Greeks used to hold spring festivals to honor the maternal goddess Rhea. She was believed to be the mother of many deities.
2. Woodrow Wilson officially created Mother's Day in 1914.
After much persuasion from an activist named Anna Jarvis, Woodrow Wilson officially declared that the second Sunday of every May would be Mother's Day. In his first Mother’s Day proclamation, Wilson stated that the holiday offered a chance to “[publicly express] our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”
3. The most popular Mother's Day gift is a card.
Whether it's handmade with love or purchased with her in mind, most of us give Mom a card to mark the day. The second most popular Mother's Day purchase is flowers, followed by "a special experience."
4. This year, moms want more family photos.
A new OnePoll survey on behalf of Canvaspop found that what moms really want this year is updated family photos. Mothers surveyed estimated that they're in less than 45 percent of the portraits displayed in their home with immediate family. So want to show her you really care this year? Set up a self-timer and get the whole fam in a pic to print out and display for years to come.
5. Carnations have a special connection with Mother's Day.
Anna Jarvis, who encouraged President Woodrow Wilson to declare Mother's Day an official holiday, started the practice of wearing a carnation to honor mothers. Traditionally, red or pink carnations are a nice gift to celebrate your mom, while white carnations can be used to honor a mother who has passed away.
6. More phone calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day of the year.
It's no surprise everyone calls their mom to wish them a happy Mother's Day. These yearly chats cause phone traffic to spike as much as 37 percent, according to History.com.
7. One-fourth of the year's floral purchases are made around Mother's Day.
As you might have guessed, Mother's Day is definitely a busy day for flower shops. Twenty-five percent of their total sales are made around this holiday, according to the Society of American Florists. So get your orders in early!
8. The average age for first-time mothers in the U.S. is 26 years old.
According to the CDC, American women are waiting longer to become mothers. In 2000, the average age for a first-time mother was 24.9 years old. As of 2018, the average age was 26 years old, according to a study done for The New York Times. And that'll likely trend higher in more recent years—especially with the pandemic, as more people are putting off having kids.
9. U.S. consumers will spend about $28.1 billion on Mom this year.
The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend $28.1 billion on Mother's Day gifts and celebrations in 2021, with shoppers spending an average of $220.48 on Mom. But if you're a little below that, don't worry—Mom appreciates anything made with love.
10. Many people dine out on Mother's Day.
While the pandemic will definitely skew this one in 2021, about 87 million adults planned to dine out for the holiday in 2018, according to the National Restaurant Association.
11. France used to award medals to mothers of large families.
You know that Mom definitely deserves a medal. And in France during the 1920s, she might have actually gotten one. The country began awarding medals to mothers of large families in gratitude for helping rebuild the population after so many lives were lost in World War I. Though that tradition was discontinued, French mothers now typically receive a flower-shaped cake on Mother's Day.
12. The holiday has religious origins in the U.K.
"Mothering Sunday" falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In the 1700s, families who had moved away would return home to the original church they attended. Today, many churches hand out daffodils for children to give to mom. And traditionally, British girls will also bake a fruitcake topped with marzipan for their mothers.
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Source: https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/g19492218/mothers-day-facts
“Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws” ~ Barbara Kingsolver