Everyone has one or has someone who is like a mother to them. On the second Sunday of May, we honor those women who are our mothers. Whether we shower her with gifts, take her to a fancy dinner or make her a homemade card, what moms want most is to be surrounded by the love of their family. Knowing the people they love are safe, sound and healthy is a mom’s number one priority.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Remember to put mom first on Mother’s Day and use #Mother’sDay to share on social media.
HISTORY
Mother’s Day has been celebrated around the world since, well, since motherhood. In the United States, Julia Ward Howe inspired the first movement toward a national Mother’s Day during the Civil War. Appealing to the public for a “Mother’s Day for Peace” after witnessing the devastation left by war, Howe went on an international crusade. While her efforts never gained formal recognition for an official observance, she was acknowledged posthumously in 1988 for her achievements and her efforts for women’s rights.
It was in 1905 when Mother’s Day was finally introduced successfully by Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis who had followed Howe’s campaign and had pursued her own volunteer efforts during the Civil War. Her mother died May 9, 1905, and she missed her greatly. She started a dedicated letter writing campaign to declare an official Mother’s Day. Through Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the first Mother’s Day was observed on May 10, 1908.
This day, to honor Anna Jarvis’s mother grew into a National Observance until in 1911 every state participated. Soon it was spreading internationally and on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother’s Day a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.
Celebrate Mother’s Day via Facebook
Seems like Mother’s Day is a super big deal on Facebook. According to the social media giant, in 2016, Mother’s Day drove more posts in one day than any other topic on Facebook, with more than 105 million Mother’s Day posts produced.
In fact, to show thanks and gratitude, people came to Facebook to post photos and videos, which spiked significantly on Mother’s Day with over 850 million photos and videos being shared.*
Facebook hopes everyone will join in celebrating everything that mother’s do for us on this special day. Even by simply wishing someone a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ in the comments you will be contributing to a worldwide outpouring of appreciation for moms everywhere.
This year, Facebook is providing new ways for you to show mom or a loved one that you appreciate everything they do:
- Send a Personalized Card: This Sunday, you might see a message from Facebook in your News Feed wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day and inviting you to share a card with a mom or loved one. You can personalize some of the cards by adding a photo, giving you the opportunity to share what Mother’s Day means to you.
- Jazz Up Your Photos: In Facebook Camera, you can find some new colorful, Mother’s Day-themed masks and frames. If you swipe right on News Feed, go to the effects tray and you’ll be able to find the effects in the mask and frame category.
- Support a Cause In Honor of Mom: In the US, start a Facebook fundraiser or donate to your favorite cause in honor of your mom. On Facebook, you can raise money for a nonprofit or people—for yourself, a friend or someone or something not on Facebook.
- Show Your Thanks: You may see a new ‘thankful’ addition to reactions during the days surrounding Mother’s Day. When a person chooses this temporary flower reaction, they’ll see something special that wraps around the post they’re reacting to.
- Add a Sticker to your Instagram Story: Finally, if you’re using Instagram, you may also see a set of new stickers to help you celebrate the mothers in your life. Simply open the camera and take a photo or video, then add as many stickers as you want.
