Sunday, May 11th, is Mother's Day, 2008. It is an official holiday in the U.S., but many other countries also celebrate it.
Most people send their mothers cards, buy them gifts, or take them out to dinner on this day.
Anna Jarvis, who lived from 1864 to 1948, was the founder of Mother's Day. She was proud of her mother (also named Anna Jarvis), who had worked hard to help her community and promote peace.
The younger Anna Jarvis worked to get the government to make Mother's Day a legal holiday. This was done in 1914.
Later, Anna Jarvis was sorry she had done this. She didn't like the way most people celebrated Mother's Day. She said: "A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself."
Read more about Mother's Day and other North American customs in our e-book, Each Week for a Year. There is also a Canadian edition.
