Later on this month we celebrate that one day of the year that is solely for our mums.
For me, this will mean breakfast in bed (of some sorts) and a home-made card from my youngest- which I love. I keep all the home made cards and pictures my three children have made me over the years and I have many- as my oldest is now 26!
I love the idea of not doing any housework, laundry or cooking on this day- for it to be a day of total rest. It would be lovely for my children and my partner to give me a day off and do these chores between them- but sadly this never happens ????
It did get me wondering why we started to celebrate Mother’s Day to start with…..
Mother’s Day is often associated with Mothering Sunday, a Christian holiday, however they are not related to each other. Mother’s Day is meant to honour mothers and their influence in society, maternal bonds and motherhood itself.
Ann Jarvis had started a committee in 1868 to establish ‘Mother’s Friendship Day’. Her motivation had been to reunite families after the Civil War. She died in 1905.
The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis (her daughter) honoured her mother with a memorial and Mother’s Day became a national holiday in America in 1914.
By the 1920s it had become so commercialized already that Anna Jarvis was disappointed. The holiday was then adapted into many other countries and today is celebrated in close to 50 countries in different parts of the world.
Some fun facts about Mother’s day are:
Approximately 122 million phone calls are made to mums on Mother’s Day in the United States.
In most countries and languages, the word for mother begins with ‘m’.
The most common flower for Mother’s Day is the carnation; pink and red for mothers who are alive and white for those who have passed away.
Of all the flowers bought for holidays, one quarter are purchased for Mother’s Day
The amount of money spent on Mother’s Day in the U.S. is approximately $14 billion
Common gifts on Mother’s Day include: flowers, dinner or lunch in a restaurant, jewellery, gift cards, clothing and treats such as a trip to a spa. Books, CDs, housewares and gardening tools are popular gifts as well.
So, whatever you are doing on Mother’s day, whether you are having fun or having a rest- celebrate it in style ☺️