HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This year, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 14, 2000. The bouquet of flowers represents this special occasion, when many mothers are honored with flowers and other gifts. Families may celebrate by giving mom breakfast in bed, having family gatherings, or making crayon scribbled cards that say, "I love you."

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations in ancient Greece. These celebrations honored Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. Later, during the 1600's, England celebrated a day named "Mothering Sunday".

In the United States, a lady named Julia Ward Howe first recommended Mother's Day in 1872. Her idea was to have a day set aside to celebrate peace.

In 1907, Ana Jarvis started a campaign to begin a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis and her cohorts began to write to businessmen, politicians, and ministers in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. They were successful, and by 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in most states in America.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made an official announcement declaring Mother's Day a national holiday that was to be held each year on the second Sunday in May.

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