What Mom Wants to Do on Mother’s Day
Spend the day doing something your mom has always wanted to do. It could be as simple as going on a walk, baking something together or looking through photos together. It’ll likely cost you nothing!
Take a page from Ree Drummond’s book and surprise her with breakfast in bed. It’ll put a huge smile on her face!
The Origins
Whether you love or hate Mother’s Day, the holiday is rooted in honoring a woman’s role in her family and society. The holiday’s development reflects changing attitudes toward motherhood, femininity, domesticity, religion, and patriotism.
The modern holiday may have originated with Julia Ward Howe, a pacifist and writer who wanted to use the occasion to encourage women to support world peace. Her version of the event was held in Boston for several years, but lost momentum before World War I. West Virginia activist Anna Jarvis took up the cause in 1907. Her goal was to establish a day that honored mothers and her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis.
She began a letter-writing campaign to newspapers and politicians, explaining that she believed American holidays were biased towards men’s achievements and hoped for the establishment of a day honoring mothers for their tireless efforts in raising and caring for children. She also established Mothers’ Work Clubs in her community to combat high infant and child mortality rates, reports MyHeritage.
When her own mother died in 1905, Anna decided to fulfil her promise and set about establishing a Mother’s Day. She used her connections to get financial backing from Philadelphia department store owner John Wanamaker and helped organize a Mother’s Day service at the Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia, which could seat only about a third of the thousands of people who showed up for the event.
By 1914, most places in the United States were observing a Mother’s Day and, that year, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed it an official national holiday. It was celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Today, most Americans and other countries celebrate the holiday with cards, flowers, candy, dinners out, gifts, and other treats. Many believe that the commercialism of the holiday has diluted its original meaning. Others complain that it is a day that only honors a woman’s domestic role in the home and her children, and neglects her political and social responsibilities.
Neither of these beliefs is accurate. While the holiday is commercialized by Hallmark and other companies that sell cards and other products, it’s important to remember the history of how the day came to be, which reflects a more rounded vision of the role of mothers in their families and society.
The White Carnation
Carnations are one of the oldest cultivated flowers and remain one of the most popular. They come in a variety of colors but white carnations are known for symbolizing purity and good luck. These flowers are often gifted to people who need a little extra luck in their lives like graduates or someone starting a new job. They are also a common gift for Mother’s Day because of the sentiments they convey.
White carnations are delicate, pure and simple which is what makes them perfect to give as a gift. They signify innocence and love that is true and genuine. These flowers are also a reminder to keep your own heart and soul as clean and pure as they are. They are a great gift for those who have a sensitive soul and seem to be a child at heart.
It is no wonder why the white carnation became the official Mother’s Day flower as it symbolized the qualities that mothers hold. The creator of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, sent white carnations to Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in West Virginia for the first celebration on May 10, 1908. She used her mother’s favorite flower because of its purity and innocence. She compared the flower’s life cycle to a mother’s love and said, “A mother’s love is as constant as the white carnation; it never fades nor diminishes.”
If you are looking for a gift that symbolizes the purity and simplicity of the bond between mothers and their children then look no further than a bouquet of fresh-cut white carnations. You can also add a personal touch to your gift by adding a card with special notes of thanks or a cute photo of you and your mom together.
Another way to celebrate Mother’s Day with a special person is by making them breakfast in bed or giving them a gift basket of their favorite foods or beverages. You could even surprise them with a day of activities that they have always wanted to do together. Whatever you do to show your mom how much you appreciate her this Mother’s Day, be sure to create #ReasonsToSmile!
Mothering Sunday
Like all traditions, Mothering Sunday grew out of its religious roots and over time evolved into a secular celebration. It originally took place on the fourth Sunday of Lent and was a day for people to visit their’mother church’, which was the main cathedral or parish in their area. Servants and apprentices were given this day off work so they could travel to their family’s church, which was often their mother’s home church, and bring gifts of food and flowers.
It was a time for families to come together, and also a chance to take their servants out for dinner, which was a rare treat at that time. Mothering Sunday also coincided with Laetare Sunday, a day of respite from fasting halfway through the penitential season of Lent. Its connection with mothering is thought to be a reference to the Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother.
The white carnation has long been associated with the holiday, and is often worn on Mother’s Day. It has become a symbol of motherhood and is used by many women, including some who do not have children of their own. It is also a popular flower to send to mothers and other women who have had an impact on your life, such as grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, or even friends.
In the UK, it is common to give a card and some small gifts on this day to honour those who have made a difference in your life. The best way to show your appreciation is by giving gifts that are thoughtful and meaningful, such as a handmade gift or a thoughtful card.
In the US, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and was pushed for by Anna Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia after the death of her own mother. She campaigned tirelessly for this day to be recognised, and through her efforts and much hard work, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed it to be an official holiday in 1914. The day is now an important event for the whole family, and it is celebrated by many with gifts and cards, as well as a big dinner.
Anna Jarvis
In her lifetime, Jarvis battled commercialization, securing a copyright on the holiday’s emblems and fighting companies that profited from it. She also fought against charities that used the day to raise money, saying it tarnished her original vision of the holiday.
Jarvis designed the holiday to be a memorial to her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. She chose the second Sunday in May, her mother’s death anniversary, as the date for Mother’s Day and her mother’s favorite flower, the white carnation, as its official symbol.
While Jarvis had great tenacity and determination, her efforts were ultimately in vain. She spent the rest of her life in a sanatorium in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where she died on November 24, 1948.
By the time Jarvis died, she despised her creation. “I am sorry I ever started Mother’s Day,” she said, according to an interview published in Reader’s Digest. “It has become a nuisance.”
The commercialization of the holiday came early and fast, especially after President Woodrow Wilson gave it federal recognition in 1914. Florists, card makers and candy companies capitalized on the holiday and Jarvis’ ire grew with it. In 1923, she sued New York Gov. Al Smith over plans to hold a massive Mother’s Day meeting and tangled with Eleanor Roosevelt over a rival committee, the Washington Post reported in its obituary of her.
As the holiday became more popular, Jarvis argued that her mother’s memory would be tainted by greedy flower shops and card manufacturers. Her ire reached a boiling point when she sent out a press release referring to florists as “charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers and termites,” according to Antolini. She also complained about the cost of her own carnations.
The fight over the holiday was a reflection of societal debates of the roles of mothers and fathers in the early 20th century, when child care advice often focused on mothers and not their husbands and children. By the 1930s, however, popular culture began encouraging fathers to take more of an active role in raising their families. Despite this, the holiday never fully separated from its roots and remained a celebration of motherhood.
