Did you know Mother’s Day started as a protest?
Before the flowers, the cards, and the “Treat Mom to Brunch” campaigns, Mother’s Day was actually a call to action. It was started by women who wanted to make their communities better — organizing for public health, peace, and justice.
Today, it’s one of the most sentimental (and commercialized) holidays of the year. But somewhere along the way, we lost sight of its activist roots. For businesses eager to join the Mother’s Day conversation, this history is important. Imagine how much more meaningful your campaigns could be if they reflected the true spirit of this day: care, community, and real impact.
Because some of the most powerful things—including this holiday—come from people standing up for what matters.
The Birth of Mother’s Day: A Protest for Peace and Public Health
The origins of Mother’s Day in the United States can be traced back to Ann Reeves Jarvis, a social activist and community organizer in the 1850s. Before it was ever about gifts or breakfast in bed, Mother’s Day was a response to the devastating impacts of war and poor public health on women and children.
Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to combat unsanitary living conditions, lower infant mortality rates, and care for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War — regardless of their allegiance. These gatherings were radical acts of community care and grassroots health advocacy at a time when women had little public power.
After the war, she envisioned a “Mothers’ Friendship Day” to bridge the divisions between former Union and Confederate families — an early version of peace-building rooted in the feminine ethic of caregiving.
Julia Ward Howe and the Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870
While Ann Jarvis laid the groundwork, Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist and suffragist, carried the protest forward. Horrified by the carnage of war, Howe penned the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870 — a passionate appeal for women to unite against war and advocate for peace.
In her words: “Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts... Say firmly: 'We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies.'”
Howe envisioned an annual “Mother’s Day for Peace” — a global call for disarmament, reconciliation, and women’s political involvement. Her vision was bold: a world where mothers would no longer send their sons to die on battlefields shaped by male power struggles.
From Protest to Profit: The Commercialization of Mother’s Day
Ironically, it was Ann Jarvis’s daughter, Anna Jarvis, who succeeded in making Mother’s Day an official holiday in 1914. But she fought tirelessly against its commercialization for the rest of her life. Anna’s intention was to honor the personal, often invisible labour of mothers — not to create a bonanza for florists and greeting card companies.
As businesses co-opted the holiday for profit, Anna Jarvis became its most vocal critic. She denounced candy makers, florists, and card companies, calling them “charlatans” and even staged boycotts. Her original vision was simple: wear a white carnation, visit your mother, and reflect on her sacrifices.
Yet capitalism, with its relentless ability to absorb and depoliticize movements, transformed Mother’s Day from an activist-driven call for peace and public health into a billion-dollar industry.
Reclaiming Mother’s Day: The Power of Protest Lives On
Today, Mother’s Day exists at the intersection of celebration and consumerism. But its activist roots remain deeply relevant. Around the world, mothers and caregivers continue to lead movements for gun control, climate justice, reproductive rights, and anti-war efforts.
Organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America echo the original spirit of Mother’s Day — mothers organizing for systemic change to protect their communities.
In 2020, amid racial justice uprisings and a global pandemic, we saw modern iterations of “Mothers’ Work Clubs” through mutual aid networks, caregiving collectives, and frontline protests led by women, especially Black and Indigenous mothers.
Powerful Things Are Born from Protest
Mother’s Day didn’t start with brunch reservations. It started with women demanding better — for their children, their communities, and the world. From peace activism to public health, from anti-war protests to mutual aid, the origins of Mother’s Day remind us that protest is an act of love.
It’s a radical truth: powerful things come from protest. Movements that start with care and courage often outlive the moments that birthed them, evolving, adapting, and sometimes even getting co-opted — but always holding the potential for reclamation.
So next Mother’s Day, amid the flowers and festivities, remember it’s true origins. Celebrate not just with gifts, but with action. Because the best way to honour mothers is to keep fighting for the world they’ve always deserved.