Americans Celebrate Mother’s Day

May 15, 2012

Mother’s Day in the United States is celebrated each year on the second Sunday in May. In millions of households, mothers will be honored with flowers, greeting cards, candy, a special cake and, perhaps, breakfast in bed or a special lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

This holiday owes its start to Anna Jarvis, who held a memorial to her mother in 1899. Jarvis’s mother had founded work clubs for women in her home state of West Virginia to improve sanitary and health conditions. Jarvis campaigned to have “Mother’s Day” recognized as a national celebration.

President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day official in 1914.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are an estimated 85 million mothers in the United States and the average number of children they have is 2.5. Most American mothers — 55 percent — are employed outside the home, according to the Census Bureau.