Mother's Day originated in the United States with Philadelphia native Anna Jarvis, a woman who never married and had no children, and who was devastated by the tragic death of her mother on May 9, 1906. On the anniversary of her mother's death the following year, Jarvis organized a memorial service for her mother and encouraged others to express their gratitude to their respective loving mothers in a similar way.

Jarvis wrote to Andrews United Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, requesting a special memorial service for her mother. In 1908, the church declared the anniversary of Jarvis' mother's death - the second Sunday in May - as Mother's Day. Jarvis also organized a Mother's Day committee and began a massive campaign to call for Mother's Day to be made a legal holiday.

On May 10, 1913, the U.S. House and Senate passed a resolution and President Wilson signed a proclamation declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. By the time Jarvis passed away in 1948, 43 countries had established Mother's Day.