Happy Mother’s Day

This year marks the 95th anniversary of a nationally recognized day for mothers. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Mother’s Day May 9, 1914.

Anna Marie Jarvis of West Virginia is often credited with its creation.

A year after her mom died in 1905 Jarvis held a special memorial and went on a quest to make Mother’s Day a national holiday.

In an interesting twist, her mother, Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis, was born 1832 in Culpeper. During the Civil War, and after moving with her family to West Virginia, Reeves Jarvis organized women to tend to wounded on both sides. After the war, she preceded her daughter in promoting Mother’s Day and later organized meetings of mothers of soldiers from the Union and the Confederacy.

Make mom feel special today and take her out. Most restaurants in Culpeper are offering a special Mother’s Day menu and many downtown shops will open.

Here’s what else is happening today in the area:

* Mother’s Day at Old House Vineyards, Stevensburg, noon to 5 p.m. Live music and complimentary wine tasting and rose for mom. Picnics welcome. Free.
* Mother’s Day Airshow at The Flying Circus in Bealeton. Show starts at 2:30 p.m. Adults $10, ages 3-12 $3, younger than 3 free.
* The Frenchman’s Corner, 141 E. Davis. St., downtown Culpeper, offers a free chocolate for mom from noon to 6 p.m.
* The Four County Players present “Same Time, Next Year” at the Barboursville Community Center at 2:30 p.m. Adults $14, seniors and students $12. Contains adult subject matter not for children younger than 13.
* Mother’s Day “Farewell” 1 to 4 p.m. at the Mary Washington House, downtown Fredericksburg; a reenactment of George Washington’s goodbye to mom as he left for his inauguration in 1789. Adults $5, ages 6-18 $2.
* Mother’s Day breakfast at the Sumerduck Ruritan Club, route 651 Fauquier County, 8 to 11 a.m. Donations accepted.
* Butterfly Release celebration honoring loved ones 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Locust Grove campus of Germanna Community College. Butterflies $25 each support Hospice of the Rapidan. Free admission for all and free BBQ lunch for first 200 guests.
* Three-mile “Walk to Empower” breast cancer awareness walk on the National Mall starts at 9 a.m. Sponsored by Breast Cancer Network of Strength.