Spring Break
Mother's Day more than greeting cards, brunch
Sarah Paeth
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Forum
Hanging fuchsia basket: $40.00. Hallmark gift card that sings "Some Kind of Wonderful" when you open it: $4.99. Telling mom that you love her this Mother's Day: priceless.
Mother's Day is just around the corner. Before you start scrambling together a card and a box of floral bath gels, take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Need a clue? Mother's Day isn't about how much you buy mom - it's about how you honor your mother.
According to theholidayspot.com, the idea of Mother's Day was introduced not as a way for families to serve mothers, but as away for mothers to serve their families. Ann Marie Jarvis Reeves, an Appalachian homemaker, founded "Mothers Friendship Days" as designated times to teach women about sanitation and health of the home and family during the mid 1800s. Through her dedication and hard work, Jarvis managed to save thousands of lives and educate many homemakers following the carnage of the Civil War.
After Jarvis' death in 1905, her daughter Anna sought a way to pay homage to all mothers, living and dead. In 1914, after much letter-writing and campaign-forming, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday of May Mother's Day.
The celebration of Mother's Day caught on very quickly in the United States. What once had started out as a sacred ceremony had turned into a frenzy of gift-giving and feasting. Nine years after the declaration of Mother's Day, Anna was sickened with the commercialization of the holiday. Indeed, she felt like she had "created a monster" when she witnessed the holiday's widespread popularity.
A century later, Mother's Day still remains one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. Each May, families flock to department stores in search of the perfect bottle of perfume or box of candy for mom. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the most popular day to eat out.
Judging by the rows of Hallmark cards crowding the aisles of Fred Meyer, its clear that the current recession hasn't dampened America's need for commercialization.
Mother's Day is just around the corner. Before you start scrambling together a card and a box of floral bath gels, take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Need a clue? Mother's Day isn't about how much you buy mom - it's about how you honor your mother.
According to theholidayspot.com, the idea of Mother's Day was introduced not as a way for families to serve mothers, but as away for mothers to serve their families. Ann Marie Jarvis Reeves, an Appalachian homemaker, founded "Mothers Friendship Days" as designated times to teach women about sanitation and health of the home and family during the mid 1800s. Through her dedication and hard work, Jarvis managed to save thousands of lives and educate many homemakers following the carnage of the Civil War.
After Jarvis' death in 1905, her daughter Anna sought a way to pay homage to all mothers, living and dead. In 1914, after much letter-writing and campaign-forming, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday of May Mother's Day.
The celebration of Mother's Day caught on very quickly in the United States. What once had started out as a sacred ceremony had turned into a frenzy of gift-giving and feasting. Nine years after the declaration of Mother's Day, Anna was sickened with the commercialization of the holiday. Indeed, she felt like she had "created a monster" when she witnessed the holiday's widespread popularity.
A century later, Mother's Day still remains one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. Each May, families flock to department stores in search of the perfect bottle of perfume or box of candy for mom. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the most popular day to eat out.
Judging by the rows of Hallmark cards crowding the aisles of Fred Meyer, its clear that the current recession hasn't dampened America's need for commercialization.
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