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Think Christmas was hijacked by capitalists to facilitate the sale of ribbons and wrapping paper? Hold that thought

With so many wildly specific holidays out there, it’s easy to lose track of the ones that actually matter; the ones with history and a meaning deeper than “I hate consumerism” And one of those is Mother’s Day.

One woman and her impressive mom 👪:

The famous name behind the celebration?

Anna Jarvis, who was inspired by her mother’s (Anna Reeves Jarvis) efforts in creating “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” (Pinterest coughing in the background 🌚) that focused on promoting friendship and health.

Precise spelling 📝:

English oligarchs out here might be screaming at my use of “Mother’s” instead of “Mothers’” because “bla bla bla grammar blah…”

Well, Anna Jarvis had a different opinion in 1912 when she trademarked the phrase. She specifically said that “Mother’s” should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.” So yes, it’s Mother’s Day, not a wholesale celebration at Mom Depot.

The Dates 🗓️:

On May 12, 1908 the first mother’s day celebration was held at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Granton, West Virginia in the USA which is the official recognized International Mother’s Day Shrine.

The Holiday was however officially recognized as a national holiday in the US by Pres. Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

The date for the holiday was chosen as the Second Sunday of May which coincided with when Ann Jarvis’s mother died.

However the date for celebration varies in different countries. For example:

• In Bolivia it is celebrated on a fixed date, May 27 which marks when women participated in the battle of La Coronilla on 27 May 1812 to defend their children.
• In Russia the International Women’s day is celebrated instead of Mother’s Day

Flower code 💐:

The official flower of Mother’s Day is the Carnation. As for the colours:

• Red or Pink carnation - living mother
• White carnation - deceased mother.

The choice for carnations was because a white carnation was Ann Jarvis’s favourite flower and she wanted to represent the purity of a mother’s love.

Plot Twist:

After working so hard to create the holiday, Anna Jarvis spent the rest of her life fighting to dismantle it. Why? Because it got too commercial. She was horrified that people were sending pre-written cards instead of writing heartfelt letters, and even tried to sue over the use of the phrase "Mother’s Day."

So next time you’re tempted to send a lazy text that says “Happy Mother’s Day” with a 🤗 emoji, remember: the founder of the holiday would haunt you for that.