Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1914

Jarvis’ efforts officially paid off in 1914. On May 8, 1914, Congress passed a law declaring the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day and the next day President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the official holiday, proclaiming it also as a holiday to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. Thus, the first official Mother’s Day took place on May, 10, 1914, though the holiday was widely recognized prior to the official declaration.

Carnations are the official flowers of Mother’s Day

Jarvis’ 500 white carnations to honor her late mother began the long-running tradition of these specific flowers being used to honor Mother’s Day.

Traditionally, even before the official holiday was declared, vendors sold carnations for churchgoers to wear, red for those whose mother was living and white for those whose mother had died.

The Society of American Florists reports that Mother’s Day is the third-highest selling holiday for florists—beat only by Valentine’s Day and Christmas/Hannukah.

6 Surprising Facts About Mother’s Day

Anna Jarvis spent the later part of her life fighting against Mother’s Day

Though Jarvis worked to make Mother’s Day an official holiday, historians have argued that she later railed against the commercialization and popularization of the holiday, which she said strayed from her initial intent.

“They’re commercializing my Mother’s Day,” she complained in a letter to newspapers, according to the Washington Post. In a separate news release, she said: “WHAT WILL YOU DO to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?”

6 Surprising Facts About Mother’s Day