How did Mother's Day begin? And when did Congress make it official?

In the United States, Julia Ward Howe suggested the idea of Mother's Day in 1872. Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, saw Mother's Day as being dedicated to peace.

However, it was Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia who is credited with bringing about the official observance of ‘Mother's Day’. She campaigned towards establishing the holiday as a remembrance of her own mother who died in 1905. Jarvis’ mother had, in the late 19th century, tried to establish a similar holiday (Mother's Friendship Days) as a way to heal the scars of the Civil War.

Two years after her mother’s death, Jarvis held a ceremony in Grafton, W. VA., to honour her. Jarvis was so moved by the ceremony that she began a massive campaign to adopt a formal holiday honouring mothers. West Virginia became the first state to recognise Mother's Day, in 1910. A year later, nearly every state officially took up the holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed ‘Mother's Day’ a national holiday to be held on the second Sunday of May.

Wow, Leppi, excellent answer!

And I trust all of the moms at our site had a wonderful Mother's Day this year.