row ▁Wilson ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁president ial ▁pro clam ation , ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁in ▁relevant ▁b ills , ▁and ▁by ▁various ▁U . S . ▁pres idents ▁in ▁their ▁pro clam ations ▁concerning ▁Mother ' s ▁Day . ▁ ▁Trad itions ▁▁ ▁Trad itions ▁on ▁Mother ' s ▁Day ▁include ▁church going , ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁car n ations , ▁and ▁family ▁d inners . ▁Mother ’ s ▁Day ▁is ▁the ▁third ▁largest ▁hol iday ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁sending ▁cards . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁gre eting ▁card ▁industry , ▁it ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁American ▁households ▁send ▁gre eting ▁cards ▁on ▁this ▁hol iday . ▁The ▁hol iday ▁has ▁been ▁heavily ▁commercial ized ▁by ▁advert is ers ▁and ▁ret ail ers , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁critic ized ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁a ▁Hall mark ▁Hol iday . ▁ ▁Car n ations ▁▁ ▁Car n ations ▁have ▁come ▁to ▁represent ▁Mother ' s ▁Day ▁since ▁Anna ▁Jar vis ▁delivered ▁ 5 0 0 ▁of ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁first ▁celebr ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁Many ▁religious ▁services ▁held ▁later ▁adopted ▁the ▁custom ▁of ▁giving ▁away ▁car n ations . ▁This ▁also ▁started ▁the ▁custom ▁of ▁we aring ▁a ▁car n ation ▁on ▁Mother ' s ▁Day . ▁The ▁founder , ▁Anna ▁Jar vis , ▁chose ▁the ▁car n ation ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁favorite ▁flower ▁of ▁her ▁mother . ▁In ▁part ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁short