DE HR14

Recognizes Sunday, May 8, 2011, as a special day honoring all mothers in Delaware.

Acknowledges the historical origins of Mother's Day, established through the efforts of Julia Ward Howe (who first called for it in 1872) and Anna M. Jarvis (who organized the first American observance in Philadelphia in 1907).

Notes that the first Mother's Day observance was a church service held in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 10, 1908, featuring white carnations symbolizing the sweetness, purity, and endurance of mother love.

Recognizes that Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day through a joint resolution signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, making it an official national holiday.

Calls on all Delawareans to honor their mothers by reflecting on their selfless actions and giving them the gift of love in the original spirit envisioned by Howe and Jarvis.