In honor of the upcoming Mother’s Day, we look into the history of how we came to celebrate our very special moms as well as some fun facts and trivia. We also highlight some discounts in this article and in our Featured Discounts sections that may help you save some money on those cards, Mothers Day Flowers or gifts for that most special person in our life.

Mother’s Day History:

The first Mother’s Day observance was a church service in 1908 requested by Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia to honor her deceased mother. Jarvis, at an early age, heard her mother express hope that a day to commemorate all mothers would be established. Her mother also expressed the sentiment that there were many days dedicated to men but none to mothers. Two years after her mother’s death, Jarvis and friends began a letter-writing campaign to declare a national Mother’s Day observance to honor mothers.

President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation on May 9, 1914, asking Americans to give a public expression of reverence to mothers through the celebration of Mother’s Day. Congress passed the legislation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Carnations have come to represent the day, following President William McKinley’s habit of always wearing a white carnation, his mother’s favorite flower.
More History

Mother’s Day Facts:

2 – The total fertility rate or number of births per woman in the U.S. in 2009, a decline of 4 percent from 2008 (based on current birth rates by age).

How Many Mothers
85.4 million – Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2008.
54% – Percentage of 15- to 44-year-old women who were mothers in 2008.
82% – Percentage of women 40 to 44 who had given birth as of 2008. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.

How Many Children
2.6 – The total fertility rate or number of births in 2008 per woman in Utah (based on current birth rates by age), which led the nation. At the other end of the spectrum is Vermont, with a total fertility rate of 1.7 births per woman.
94% – Among the 37.8 million mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2004, the percentage who lived with their biological children only. In addition, 3 percent lived with stepchildren, 2 percent with any adopted children and less than 1 percent with any foster children.

Moms Who’ve Recently Given Birth
4.13 million – Number of births registered in the United States in 2009. Of this number, 409,840 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,934 to mothers 45 to 54.
25.1 – Average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25.0 years in 2006 and 2007. The increase in the mean age from 2007 to 2008 reflects, in part, the relatively large decline in births to women under age 25 compared with the small decline for women in the 25-39 age bracket.
40% – Percentage of births that were the mother’s first in 2008. Another 32 percent were the second-born; 17 percent, third; and 7 percent, fourth.
18,986 – Number of births in 2008 that were the mother’s eighth or more.
42,746 – Number of births in 2008 that did not occur in hospitals. Of these, 28,357 were in a residence (home) and 12,014 were in a freestanding birthing center.
32.6 – Number of twin births per 1,000 total births in 2008, the highest rate on record.
6,268 – Number of triplet and higher order multiple births in 2008, the lowest number reported in more than a decade. The 2008 triplet and higher order multiple total included 5,877 triplets, 345 quadruplets, and 46 quintuplets and higher order multiples.
July – The month with the highest number of births, with 375,384 in 2008.
Tuesday – The most common day to deliver, with an average of 13,415 births taking place on Tuesdays in 2008.
Jacob and Isabella – The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively, in 2009.
71 – Number of births in the past year per 1,000 women 15 to 50 with a graduate or professional degree. These women have a higher fertility rate than those with any other level of education.

Stay-at-Home Moms
5 million – Number of stay-at-home moms in 2010 — down from 5.1 million in 2009 and 5.3 million in 2008. In 2010, 23 percent of married-couple family groups with children under 15 had a stay-at-home mother, up from 21 percent in 2000. In 2007, before the recession, stay-at-home mothers were found in 24 percent of married-couple family groups with children under 15.

Employed Moms (and Moms-to-Be)
61% – The proportion of mothers with a recent birth who were in the labor force increased from 57 percent in 2006 to 61 percent in 2008. Among states with higher than average levels of new mothers who were unemployed, the highest proportions were in Alabama (10 percent) and Michigan (9 percent), along with several states in the southeast United States.
777,817 – Number of child care centers across the country in 2008. These included 74,920 centers employing 884,235 workers and another 702,897 self-employed people or other businesses without paid employees. Many mothers turn to these centers to help juggle motherhood and careers.

Single Moms
9.9 million – The number of single mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2010, up from 3.4 million in 1970.
5.6 million – Number of custodial mothers who were due child support in 2007.
38% – Of the 4 million women 15 to 44 years old who had a birth in the last year, 1.5 million (38 percent) were to women who were not married, who were separated, or married but with an absent spouse. Of those 1.5 million mothers, 425,000 (28 percent) were living with a cohabitating partner.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Mother’s Day Discounts on Cards and Gifts:

iParty – iParty has a large selection of party and paper goods and supplies for all occasions and they provide a 10% senior discount every day. iParty requests that you ask for the discount at the register prior to purchase.
www.iParty.com

Hallmark – Hallmark is national retailer of cards, gifts, ornaments, and flowers. Many Hallmark stores also offer a senior discount. These stores are typically franchised, so it is up to the individual store owners as to whether they provide a discount or not. Most Hallmark stores will extend a 10% discount on regularly priced items to seniors 55 and older. It is best to inquire in advance about a particular store’s senior discount.
www.hallmark.com

Rite Aid Drug Stores – Rite Aid is one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, operating more than 5,000 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Rite Aid now provides its Wellness+ Rewards Program, which has replaced its earlier Living More Program. Registration is free and members earn up to 20% off purchases every day by earning points every time you shop. Members also receive 10% off Rite Aid brand products every day. Visit their web site for details.
www.riteaid.com

Mrs. Fields Cookies – Mrs. Fields Cookies offers an array of gift baskets, cookie tins, cookie jars and other gift ideas. Many Mrs. Fields Cookies’ locations provide a 10% discount to people 60 years of age and older. Check with you local store, as participation and age requirement will vary by location.
www.mrsfields.com

Discounts on Flowers and Gifts:

This week we have listed some online flower and gift shops in a special “Featured Discounts” section just for Mother’s Day. You can see this list of discounts on our web site. Click here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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