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CNN Live Sunday
A Look at Mother's Day
Aired May 11, 2003 - 19:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Fess up. Did you remember to do something special for your mom today? I certainly hope so. If you haven't, you really blew it. You still got a little bit of time, a few hours to redeem yourself. Better think of something fast. While you are doing that, CNN's Patty Davis will explain how the whole holiday got started.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Mother's Day. One of the biggest days for cards, flowers, and gifts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my mother some jewelry and my wife got a little charm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just figured it is a Hallmark Holiday.
DAVIS: But showering mom with gifts wasn't the intent of Mother's Day founders, Anna Reeves Jarvis and others, more than 100 years ago.
ANN STONE, FOUNDER OF NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM: Anna Jarvis would be rolling her grave right now. She railed against commercialization of Mother's Day.
DAVIS: In 1858, Appalachian home maker Anna Reeves Jarvis created Mother's Work Day to help improve sanitation and worker safety. After her death, her daughter also named Anna Jarvis, relentlessly pushed the idea, holding the first service for mothers at this West Virginia church. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day official, the second Sunday in May commemorating the anniversary of Anna Reeves Jarvis' death. She won out over Julia Ward Howe, the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, who thought July 4th should be the special day for mothers. Howe's goal, during the civil war, was to promote peace.
GILLIAN KELLOGG, JULIA WARD HOWE'S RELATIVE: She saw the soldiers returning from the battle field, and this was a war that was fought close and personal. It was very bloody and a lot of people died. And she was horrified at this experience.
DAVIS: In Washington, this Mother's Day, Julia Ward Howe's great-great-granddaughter helped organize this rally for peace, to continue her legacy. Today's mothers may have simpler legacies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, she helps me with my homework. And sometimes she plays with me.
DAVIS: But the desire to honor them is no less strong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is very special.
DAVIS: Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 11, 2003 - 19:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Fess up. Did you remember to do something special for your mom today? I certainly hope so. If you haven't, you really blew it. You still got a little bit of time, a few hours to redeem yourself. Better think of something fast. While you are doing that, CNN's Patty Davis will explain how the whole holiday got started.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Mother's Day. One of the biggest days for cards, flowers, and gifts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got my mother some jewelry and my wife got a little charm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just figured it is a Hallmark Holiday.
DAVIS: But showering mom with gifts wasn't the intent of Mother's Day founders, Anna Reeves Jarvis and others, more than 100 years ago.
ANN STONE, FOUNDER OF NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY MUSEUM: Anna Jarvis would be rolling her grave right now. She railed against commercialization of Mother's Day.
DAVIS: In 1858, Appalachian home maker Anna Reeves Jarvis created Mother's Work Day to help improve sanitation and worker safety. After her death, her daughter also named Anna Jarvis, relentlessly pushed the idea, holding the first service for mothers at this West Virginia church. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day official, the second Sunday in May commemorating the anniversary of Anna Reeves Jarvis' death. She won out over Julia Ward Howe, the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, who thought July 4th should be the special day for mothers. Howe's goal, during the civil war, was to promote peace.
GILLIAN KELLOGG, JULIA WARD HOWE'S RELATIVE: She saw the soldiers returning from the battle field, and this was a war that was fought close and personal. It was very bloody and a lot of people died. And she was horrified at this experience.
DAVIS: In Washington, this Mother's Day, Julia Ward Howe's great-great-granddaughter helped organize this rally for peace, to continue her legacy. Today's mothers may have simpler legacies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like, she helps me with my homework. And sometimes she plays with me.
DAVIS: But the desire to honor them is no less strong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is very special.
DAVIS: Patty Davis, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
