By weekâs end, a very special annual springtime celebration will commemorate Motherâs Day. In honor of this auspicious occasion, a pair of stories about local women drawn from Napa Countyâs past will illustrate the challenges of motherhood.
But first, a brief historical overview regarding Motherâs Day, its inception, and purpose. This yearly tradition of celebrating mothers began in Grafton, West Virginia.
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On May 10, 1908, a special church service was conducted at the request of Anna M. Jarvis to honor her motherâs memory. Jarvis had also requested a similar ceremony be performed simultaneously in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her motherâs hometown. To further accentuate the nobility of motherhood, Jarvis asked the members of both churches to wear red carnations.