In the U.S. and Canada Mothers' Day is a day when children honor their mothers with cards, gifts, and flowers and is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Days honoring mothers have been recorded in ancient Greece, when Rhea, the Mother of the gods was honored. In the 1600's, England observed "Mothering Sunday", celebrated during Lent, on the fourth Sunday. On Mothering Sunday, the servants, who generally lived with their employers, retuned home to honor their mothers, bringing a cake to celebrate the occasion.

In the U.S., in 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. Jarvis and others campaigned ministers, businessmen, and politicians to establish a national Mother's Day and were successful.

President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day a national observance to be held annually on the 2nd Sunday of May.

Many other countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May, as in the U.S.

Mom Deserves to be Pampered

For all the work Mom does throughout the year she deserves to be pampered on Mother's Day.

The Society of American Florists has provided the following tips to make Mom feel extra special:

• If you're planning on taking Mom out to eat, take a plate, bowl, napkin and set of silverware to your florist the week before Mother's Day. Ask your florist to make a floral arrangement in the bowl and include the silverware among the flowers. Then slip in an invitation to her favorite restaurant.

• Invite Mom to brunch or dinner at her favorite restaurant and have a flower arrangement delivered right to your table for all to see.

• For Moms that like to cook, ask your florist to create an herb garden design with several small pots of herbs.

• Make a special tribute to Mom by sending a decorated "Mother's Day Tree." The week before Mother's Day, take several of your favorite family photos to your florist and ask him to attach them to a plant or miniature tree using colorful ribbons. Prepare the photos ahead of time by pasting them onto pretty colored papers or put them in small frames.

• If your Mom is planning on attending worship on Mother's Day, find out what she plans to wear and ask your florist to design a special corsage to match. For a very special twist, choose a new dress or hat for Mom and have it boxed and wrapped with the corsage in place of a bow on the outside.

• Give Mom something to relax with by wrapping a new book and asking your florist to place it into a fragrant flower bouquet with a note that reads "Today is your day to relax!"

• Ask your florist to help you create a special spa kit. A few days ahead of time, bring goodies like nail polish, a loofa sponge, bath crystals, oils and other pampering items to your florist and have him design a basket with the spa items on one side and flowers on the other. You could even add a certificate for a manicure, pedicure, massage or spa treatments at a local day spa or salon.

• If you want to surprise Mom from across the miles, ask a florist in her town to make a floral arrangement and include an airline ticket for a visit to you. Be sure to mail the ticket to the florist well in advance and confirm that he received it.

• Incorporate flowers into a theme gift. If Mom is an avid gardener, ask the florist to create a design that includes gardening goodies such as a trowel, garden gloves, seed packets and tools. If Mom is a bird watcher, how about a design in a bird feeder? An athletic would certainly appreciate a pair of workout shoes - with flowers arranged inside. Tennis balls, golf balls or sport headbands can be a unique addition to any floral arrangement. If Mom loves clothes or jewelry, tie a scarf or drape a necklace around a vase of flowers to make the gift extra special.