Mother’s Day is a wonderful time of the year when people honour and appreciate their mothers for the sacrifices they make for us. But have you ever thought about who invented mother’s Day? Or, why Mother’s Day was created; shouldn’t everyday be mother’s day?
Anna Jarvis never got married, nor did she have children. Upon the death of her mother, Jarvis wanted a special day, in honour of motherhood, to be included in the American national calendar.
With financial support coming from a store owner in Philadelphia, Jarvis was able to create a Mother’s Day in 1908. Fame and money were not her motifs as she never benefitted from the movement herself. In-fact, she put so much energy in to protect Mother’s Day that she died penniless in a state of long- term illness in 1948.
Not long after successfully creating Mother’s Day, Jarvis started to put her efforts towards abolishing it because of growing commercialisation of the day. Although some feminists saw this as an opportunity to highlight the inequality in society and recognise motherhood later on, Anna Jarvis didn’t like the fact it had become yet another product of consumerism. With flower, sweets and card factories making huge sums of money from this special day, Jarvis felt that people had neglected its value.
Like many people today who question whether the money they give charities is actually utilised correctly, Jarvis doubted fundraisers were benefitting the people they claimed they were helping.
Anna Jarvis fought for the creation and protection of Mother’s Day and later, she resented its profiteers for abandoning its origins. Perhaps Mother’s Day is only looked upon as an opportunity by businesses to make money, but this doesn’t stop us from respecting and cherishing our mothers.
