This flash briefing is all about West Seattle in Washington (WA) State. For more info, visit: http://www.Sea-Town.com/welcome-to-west-seattle If you own an Amazon Echo device, you can enable this daily audio content by simply saying "Alexa, enable West Seattle Daily Skill" or click here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082NR5KM4, login to your Amazon account and click the "Enable" button. ---- A little late but Happy day after Mother’s day to all the mamas out there! WE are so fortunate to have your support & guidance. While only some of us are mothers (or are married to mothers), what all of us have in common is that we all have mothers... Have you ever wondered how Mother’s day started? We did some digging and found the story to share with you. Thanks for joining us for West Seattle Daily, Episode #064, brought to you by the Sea-Town Team, powered by eXp Realty. I'm your host, Christian Harris. https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day The first Mother’s day was celebrated in 1908. Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers make for their children. Mother's day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards and other gifts. Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. Back to Anna Jarvis Following the success of her first Mother’s Day in 1908, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated worldwide, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit. Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood. In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times, Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare. What an interesting story? I had no idea. In the spirit of Mother's Day, I hope you had a chance to show your appreciation to your mom or the other mommas in your life who mean a great deal to you... you all do so much, often with so little appreciation or praise. Thank you for all that you do! Thanks for joining us and talk with you tomorrow.