Mothers Day: Why We Celebrate And Where To Brunch Near Mount Vernon

MOUNT VERNON, NY—In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a special day to honor mothers. Although Mothering Sunday was a long tradition in Europe, the day might never have earn an official designation in the U.S. if not for some determined women. A celebration of mothers was organized in 1870 by poet Julia Ward Howe who wanted to create a sense of national unity after the Civil War. Teacher Mary Towles Sasseen promoted the idea by publishing a Mother's Day celebration pamphlet in 1893, but it was activist Anna Jarvis who successfully began to lobby the White House for an official day in 1908.

Today, we honor moms with gifts, flowers and brunch. If you're not sure where to take your mom for Mother's Day brunch, we offer a list of the local brunch places that earned the highest marks from Yelp reviewers. If you've been to any of these places let us know in the comments below. If we missed your favorites, please let us know.

Westchester

1. Beehive Restaurant, 30 Old Route 22, Armonk

2. Eaterry, 25 Main Street, Tarrytown

3. Cooked & Co, 128 Garth Road, Scarsdale

4. On the Way Cafe, 34 Ridgeland Terrace, Rye

5. The Original Pancake House, 170 Hamilton Avenue, White Plains

6. Stan'z Cafe, 26 Chatsworth Avenue, Larchmont

7. Wobble Cafe, 21 Campwoods Road, Ossining

8. Pondfield Cafe, 3 Pondfield Road West, Bronxville

Hudson Valley

1. The Roost, 3542 Main Street, Stone Ridge

2. Main Street Bistro, 59 Main Street, New Paltz

3. The Poughkeepsie Grind 107 Main Street, Poughkeepsie

4. Phoenicia Diner, 5681 SR 28, Phoenicia

5. Cafe Mio, 2356 Route 44/55, Gardiner

6. Oriole 9, 17 Tinker Street, Woodstock

7. Sweet Sue's Restaurant, 49 Main Street, Phoenicia

8. The Ground Hog, 2703 West Main Street, Wappingers Falls

9. Alex's Restaurant, 1 Market Street, Poughkeepsie

10. Stock Up, 29 Teller Avenue, Beacon

Rockland

1. Strawberry Place, 72 South Broadway, Nyack

2. Art Cafe of Nyack, 65 South Broadway, Nyack

3. Hogan's Nyack Diner, 41 Route 59, Nyack

4. The 9W Market, 243 Route 9W, Palisades

5. Cornerstone Restaurant, 285 North Route 303, Congers

Putnam

1. Countryside Kitchen, 493 Route 6, Mahopac

2. Hudson Hil's Market & Cafe, 129 Main Street, Cold Spring

3. The Freight House Cafe, 606 Route 6, Mahopac

4.Country Kitchen, 564 North Main Street, Brewster

5. Reverie Caffe, 21 Front Street, Patterson, NY

6. George's Place, 36 Gleneida Avenue, Carmel

Enjoy your meal!