Written by Crystal Schwalger
It’s that special time of year again, when April showers bring May flowers and everyone thinks about and remembers their mother. In case you haven’t been paying attention to the date, this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. If you are a mother like me, you look forward to this day. Not because you want or expect a special gift, but because it’s a day that you are remembered for being the special person in your children’s lives.
If you really want to get your mother something special for Mother’s Day, I suggest that you skip Google. When I decided to surf the web for info on the origins of Mother’s Day, I was bombarded by ideas of “what to buy Mom for Mother’s Day.” The list of web pages included everything from chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and everything in between. Flowers and chocolates of course are very nice and thoughtful gifts, but most mothers I know of—including myself–don’t want or need some fancy gift from our children. What we really want and would love is something that comes from the heart, something a little more personal. I know the things I cherish most are those items that my children have hand made me through the years themselves. Those are the things of memory.
With all the hype from hopeful merchants across the country, it might surprise you to know that Mother’s Day as a holiday was not invented by candy or flower shops as a way to earn more money. Instead, Mother’s Day as we know it today was first thought of by a lady named Anna Jarvis who held a memorial for her beloved mother in 1908. She made it her mission to find a way to honor her mother and all mothers who, in her words, are the people who have “done more for you than any other person in the world.” Her efforts soon led several states to start celebrating Mother’s Day in 1910. It gained so much favor across the country, that eventually in 1914, it was declared by President Woodrow Wilson that the second Sunday in May would be known as Mother’s Day to honor all mothers.
While Jarvis was successful in making Mother’s Day a National holiday, she soon realized that commercialism had overcome her intent behind the holiday. She soon grew resentful of exploitation by merchants as a way to make money and even tried to rescind it as a holiday. By 1920, Hallmark and other companies had started selling pre-made cards and gifts. Jarvis became angry that the holiday that she loved had been changed from being one of sentiment and love for mothers, to one of profit and greed by cash-hungry merchants. She began to organize boycotts and even threatened lawsuits to try and stop the commercialism. Unsuccessful in these endeavors, she was later arrested for disturbing the peace for protesting at a confab of Mothers of American Wars which was selling carnations for Mother’s Day. She sadly died in 1948, regretting the holiday in which she had helped to create.
While Jarvis was unsuccessful at stopping the blatant commercialism of Mother’s Day, she was successful at making Mother’s Day popular. In fact, Mother’s Day is now celebrated around the world in over 167 counties. Many of them have adopted different parts of the year in which they celebrate it to fit their own traditions and customs, but surprisingly, at least 84 other countries besides the U.S. remember their Mothers on the second Sunday in May, a tribute to a devoted daughter who loved her mother so much that she wanted a special day to remember her by.
Today of course, the commercialism behind the holiday is as blatant, if not worse than it was when Jarvis tried to rescind it. In fact, Mother’s Day is one of the most commercially successful days of the year. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is also the most popular day to dine out in the U.S.
While I understand why Jarvis was so upset by all the commercialism, I, for one, am grateful that a day is set aside to remember and celebrate the one person who always has our back, the one person who loves us no matter what, and would do anything they could to make us happy… our mothers. Mothers come in all shapes and sizes, speak different languages, and are found everywhere across the world. They may be very different, but there is one thing all mothers have in common: they love their children.
I am also grateful for my own mother who has always shown me love and kindness. A Jewish proverb says, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” I know that this is true. I also hope this encourages you to remember your mother in your own special way and also to remember that “no gift that you give to her can ever equal the gift that she gave to you: life.”
Happy Mother’s Day!
Crystal Schwalger has loved writing ever since she could remember. Her love of learning led her to Dixie State University where she graduated with a degree in English and Communications. She is passionate about writing and believes that you should never give up on your dreams. She is happiest when she is at home enjoying her backyard green spaces with her family. She currently lives in Washington Utah with her husband, her children, and her dog Kali.
