Disturbing Origins of Mother's Day Uncovered: A Less Celebrated Chapter
Rewritten Article:
Celebrating Mother's Day might come off as sweet and mundane – some flowers, a heartfelt card, maybe a break from household chores. But the American Mother's Day wasn't born in a picturesque garden; it was forged amidst conflict, shaped by fierce women, and became a battleground between profit and morality – a holiday with a dramatic history.
Ancestors of Mother's Day in Ancient Times
Mothers have been around for ages, and so have celebrations in their honor. These festivities can be traced back to ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans, who paid tribute to mother goddesses such as Cybele and Rhea[1]. During the Middle Ages, the Church revamped the idea with Mothering Sunday, a day dedicated to the Mother Church[1]. Mother's Days are observed differently across the globe, with some visiting cemeteries on Mother's Day in Peru or celebrating on March 8 in Albania. However, these celebrations differ from the American Mother's Day as we know it[1].
The Bloodied Roots of Mother's Day
Mother's Day officially debuted in the United States in 1914, but the origins of the holiday date back to before the Civil War. Social activist and community organizer Ann Reeves Jarvis – lovingly known as "Mother Jarvis" – initiated Mothers' Day Work Clubs to lower infant mortality rates by teaching women proper childcare and sanitation methods[1]. When the Civil War began in 1861, the clubs focused on caring for soldiers from both sides. In 1868, with the war over, Jarvis promoted Mother's Friendship Day, a peace-focused movement for former Union and Confederate soldiers to reconcile[1].
As Jarvis emphasized, "Why don’t the mothers of mankind intervene in these matters to prevent the waste of that human life which they alone bear and know the cost?"[1] Jarvis wasn't alone; across the country, women were organizing unofficial Mother's Days. Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote the "Mother's Day Proclamation" in 1870, which urged mothers to unite for world peace[1]. Howe later campaigned for a "Mother's Peace Day" on June 2. Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist from Michigan, inspired a local Mother's Day to be celebrated during the 1870s[1]. A strategic blend of cultural sentiments laid the groundwork for Mother's Day, but it took the death of "Mother Jarvis" to give it official recognition.
A Holiday for Profit or Principle?
Jarvis' daughter, Anna Jarvis, picked up the torch after her mother's death. On the first anniversary of her mother's death, Anna announced plans for a memorial service dedicated to her late mother to be held the following year. She envisioned a day that commemorated the sacrifices mothers make for their children and advocated for world peace[1]. In 1908, with financial support from John Wanamaker and H.J. Heinz, Jarvis organized an official Mother's Day celebration at a church in West Virginia and Wanamaker's department store - the first of many commercial ventures[1].
The allure of commercial potential quickly began to undermine Jarvis' vision of a heartfelt and sentimental holiday. By 1912, Jarvis had quit her job to establish the Mother's Day International Association, formed with the intention of forging partnerships with businesses and advocating for a national holiday[2]. Mother's Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914, but Jarvis regarded it as "a day of sentiment, not profit"[2]. Unfortunately for Jarvis, those looking to capitalize on the holiday's popularity didn't share her beliefs.
Anna Jarvis' Crusade Against Mother's Day
By 1920, Jarvis had cut ties with her former financial backers, pleaded with people to not buy their mothers anything, and denounced anyone profiting from Mother's Day as frauds, kidnappers, and other unsavory characters[2]. Jarvis demonstratively threw a "Mother's Day Salad" on the floor of a Philadelphia restaurant to protest the commercialization of the holiday[2]. She also decried greeting cards, writing that they were insincere and impersonal, and expressed disgust for candy gifts[2].
But the most despicable offenders in Jarvis' eyes were the flower industry. At her own expense, she sent thousands of white carnation buttons, the flower symbolizing motherly love, to women's groups across the country in an attempt to discourage the purchase of flowers[2]. She threatened a trademark lawsuit against Florist Telegraph Delivery (FTD) for combining carnations with the words "Mother's Day." She protested the U.S. government's Mother's Day stamp because she considered the carnations to be an advertisement for the flower industry. Jarvis even protested in ways that resulted in her arrest for causing public disturbances[2].
The Tragic Demise of Mother of Mother's Day
Jarvis' crusade against commercialization came with personal consequences. By mid-century, she was penniless, living in her sister's house in Philadelphia with little trace of the influence she once held over the President of the United States[3]. In 1943, while collecting signatures for a petition to abolish Mother's Day completely, Jarvis was admitted to the Marshall Square Sanitarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania, under the financial support of the Flower and Greeting Card industry[3]. Whether this was an act of corporate public relations or a final stab of the knife depends on one's perspective. Jarvis passed away on November 24, 1948, ending her life childless but with her unwavering principles at her side.
[1] https://www.nps.gov/temп/learn/historyculture/mother-jarvis.htm[2] https://www.history.com/news/mother-s-day-ann-jarvis-history[3] https://www.history.com/news/ann-jarvis-mother-of-mothers-day-days-work-clubs[4] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/american Experience/mothers-day/
Enrichment Data:
Ann Reeves Jarvis's crusade against the commercialization of Mother's Day is a complex and controversial aspect of the holiday's history, primarily reflected through the efforts of her daughter, Anna Jarvis, who founded the official Mother’s Day observance in the United States.
Background: Ann Reeves Jarvis and the Origins of Mother's Day
Ann Reeves Jarvis was a social activist in the 1850s who organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs in West Virginia. These clubs focused on improving public health, hygiene, and sanitation to reduce disease and child mortality in her Appalachian community[1][2][3]. Her work was grassroots and advocacy-oriented, focused on social welfare rather than commercial celebration.
Historical Development and the Founding of Mother's Day by Anna Jarvis
After Ann Reeves Jarvis passed away in 1905, her daughter Anna Jarvis sought to memorialize her mother through the creation of a dedicated day to honor mothers, focusing on personal and familial recognition rather than broader social or commercial purposes[2][3]. Anna Jarvis held the first official Mother's Day service in 1908, selecting the second Sunday in May to closely align with her mother’s death anniversary[3]. The celebration emphasized simplicity and sincerity, with gifts primarily focused on white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, symbolizing purity and love.
Controversy and Lasting Impact
Anna Jarvis's campaign against commercialization saw widespread opposition due to the following reasons:
- Her insistence that businesses shouldn't profit from Mother's Day led to conflict with commercial interests and even certain social movements that co-opted the holiday for their own purposes.
- Her activism to abolish Mother's Day completely, despite her role in establishing it, created controversy and a sense of irony.
- Jarvis's stance continued to create tension in the years following her death, with some viewing her as misguided while others respected her for defend her principle.
The enduring impact of Anna Jarvis's campaign is two-fold:
- Symbol of Idealism: Anna Jarvis's campaign serves as a symbol of idealism in that it highlights the importance of preserving the sincerity and deeply personal nature of Mother's Day as she originally envisioned it.
- Understanding the Commercialization Process: Her fight sheds light on the complex ways cultural observances could be commercialized and transformed, and how this tension between commercial profit and the preservation of cultural authenticity is a recurring theme in many celebrated holidays.
In summary, Ann Reeves Jarvis's activism in establishing health initiatives for her Appalachian community paved the way for a holiday that paid tribute to mothers' social and health contributions. However, it was Anna Jarvis who founded the official Mother's Day observance, only to controversially fight against its commercialization, a campaign that lends a complex and thought-provoking historical context to the holiday[1][2][3].
- The history of Mother's Day is not just about flowers and heartfelt cards; it's deeply rooted in conflict, social activism, and a battle between profit and morality.
- As Mother's Day became a popular commercial holiday, the founder's daughter, Anna Jarvis, crusaded against its commercialization, deeming it impersonal and unsincere.
- In an attempt to preserve her mother's ideal of a sincere and personal Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis protested against the flower industry, greeting card companies, and even had a "Mother's Day Salad" thrown on the floor of a restaurant.
- Despite her efforts, the commercialization of Mother's Day continued, and Anna Jarvis ended her life defending her principles but largely disregarded by the very industry she sought to oppose.
- Today, the controversy surrounding the commercialization of Mother's Day and Anna Jarvis's campaign is a reminder of the complex evolution of cultural observances in the realm of popular culture and entertainment.
