Parents’ Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of May, to honor fathers and mothers.
There are numerous ways people choose to celebrate Parents’ Day: some take their parents out for a nice dinner, others buy gifts or pay for a service such as a massage or cooking class. Many children and teenagers also write thank-you cards to their parents, as a sign of gratitude for everything they’ve done for them over the years.
Some people think that Parents’ Day is unnecessary because there are already so many other holidays dedicated to those who raised us, namely Mother’s and Father’s Days. However, some argue that celebrating Parents’ Day is a good thing because it encourages the expression of gratitude, which is often lacking in today’s world.
Did You Know?
*The first Parents’ Day was held on July 10, 1908 in West Virginia. In 1910, General John F. Folliott passed a resolution designating the third Sunday of May as Parents’ Day. His inspiration came from an earlier idea from Anna Jarvis, who had been moved by her mother’s death to encourage others to honor their parents “in the churches, homes, schools and in all places of worship.”
*Parents’ Day was originally called Parents’ Day for National Peace. Folliott’s resolution read: “That while it is fitting that war should cease forever between nations, while international disputes should be settled by arbitration rather than by force, there is one dispute which cannot be thus settled. That dispute is the age-old difference between parents and children.” Folliott felt it was important for people to remember that even when they are angry at their parents, they should still love them unconditionally.
*Others have suggested different dates or names for the holiday. Folliott’s original resolution identified the third Sunday in May as Parents’ Day, but it has also been held on the second Sunday in May. In other countries it is sometimes called Family Day, Fête des Fparents (France), Festa dei Nonni (Italy), Fete Des Meres et Fils (Monaco).
*The Folliott family is responsible for the Parents’ Day rose. Growing out of a rosebush grown from a cutting from her mother’s beloved flower garden, Folliott named the rose after his mother and his favorite flowers that she’d grown in their yard. Folliott donated cuttings of the rose to West Virginia’s Folliott State Hospital in honor of his mother.
*Anna Follen is often regarded as the “mother” of Mother’s Day, not Anna Jarvis. Follen was a social activist and writer who wrote about depression and also worked to help improve women’s lives by promoting education for girls. Follen believed that only through education could women become independent, which would then help them to escape abusive and unhappy marriages. Follen’s mother died in 1842 when she was only 28 years old. Follen chose May as the month to honor her mother and wrote a poem for this occasion: “My very earliest recollection is of my Mother, and I seem hardly separated from her dear form till now. May every year deepen my love and gratitude to her, who gave such a precious gift to me.” Follen died in 1874.
*Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day activities as a memorial for her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, who was known as “Mother” Anna because of her work with poor families in West Virginia. Mother Anna also started Mothers’ Work Days to help improve the lives of impoverished families in her town.
*There are many different ideas about who should actually get Parents’ Day off work or school. Some say it should be everyone because all parents deserve a break, while others say it should only apply to single parents or adoptive parents because they deserve a day off for doing double the work. Some say it should only be given to biological parents, while others think adoptive or foster parents should also get Parents’ Day so that children who are in the care of someone other than their biological parent can celebrate on this special day.
* Folliott State Hospital is now known as Folliott Place. The Folliott Place campus is currently used by West Virginia University.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are now celebrated throughout the world on different days of the year.
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