Chuck, the rascal cat, and I are home for this Mother’s Day, which gave us plenty of opportunity to observe first hand the commercialization of this day dedicated to mothers all over the world.
We became curious about how this day came to be.
Ever since I was born, Mother’s Day has been a celebrated holiday.
Chuck wanted to know--how did it all get started and when he asked the question, I confessed I had no idea.
I just assumed we’ve always celebrated Mother’s Day.
Little did I know the irony that lurked beneath this fascinating story . . .
The woman who lobbied for an official Mother’s Day, which became as you well know the second Sunday in May (at least in this country) and then nine years later who became the first major opponent against the abuse of the celebration was Anna Jarvis.
She began the campaign. She started the celebration of Mother’s Day in 1908 in West Virginia and helped establish it as a national holiday in 1914. By 1920, however, disappointed by the commercial nature of Mother’s Day, she did a complete turnabout.
She actually began lobbying against the very thing she’d fought so hard to secure. She hated what Mother’s Day had become in six short years. She criticized greeting cards and advocated, for example, the writing of personal letters to your mother.
But she was fighting a losing cause.
And, therein, lies the irony.
It seems that the popularity of a holiday is directly proportional to the amount of revenue it can generate for all concerned. Other holidays have come and gone. If they don’t make money, they don’t last.
Now consider Mother’s Day. The tradition, the protocol is the card and the gift. In fact, in most people’s minds, sending a card/gift is more important than even making an effort to see or talk to your mother.
Hallmark/American Greeting specialize in the cards.
Every major store offers their idea of the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Commercialization of Mother’s Day has hit an all time high and I cringe to think what Anna Jarvis would think if she could see what Mother’s Day has become today.
Top Five Gift Choices:
1 - Flowers or a Plant
2- Candy, preferably chocolate
3 - Jewelry
4 - A book - cookbooks or gardening books are always popular
5 - Baskets filled with a collection of something usually related to a hobby of some sort - exercise gear, cooking paraphrenalia, make-up, etc., lotions and potions, etc.
But here’s the other ironic thing about Mother’s Day. What do mothers really want on Mother’s Day? According to a survey done by Child’s Play Communications as reported in the Huffington Post, after the Do It Yourself gifts, moms actually want an “off duty day.” The list looks something like this:
1- Handwritten cards or letters
2- Uninterrupted showers
3- Naps
4- Silence
5- A Day Off
Sadly, when pressed, only three percent of the mothers actually thought they would get any of the things they really wanted. To read the article, hit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/mothers-day-what-moms-really-want_n_3196191.html?ir=Parents
When I told Chuck all of this, he shook his whiskered face.
You had to ask, Chuck, you just had to ask!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Chuck and I wish all the mothers out there get their heart’s desire.
My paranormal romance, Wild Point Island, is now available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com in mass market paperback and ebook. Reader reviews 4.8 stars. Romance, adventure, magic and mystery.
