Source: Amir Diamond / Amir Diamond
A woman by the name Jarvis’, mother Ann Reeves Jarvis hoped someone would dedicate a day to honor mothers. When she died on May 9, 1905, Jarvis set out to do just that. She began campaigning not only for her mom but she was campaigning for moms everywhere.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Jarvis’ Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
Jarvis was very intentional about the name of her holiday. It’s Mother’s Day — as in one mom.
Jarvis couldn’t stand the idea of people spending so much money on extravagant flower arrangements, sappy greeting cards and overly priced chocolates.
First, she went after florists, protesting their marketing of those beautiful and ornate carnations. Then, her protests escalated to arrests for public disturbances.
Jarvis didn’t stop there. She went after first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for using Mother’s Day as a way to promote the health and welfare of women and children. While it was true that Jarvis’ mother was a community health advocate, Jarvis still didn’t like the association.
Jarvis died in a sanitarium in 1948. The holiday she created lives on.
Till this day, more people purchase flowers and plants for Mother’s Day than for any other holiday except Christmas/Hanukkah. This year alone, Americans will spend $25 billion on the holiday. And most of that money will be spent on jewelry: $5.2 billion.
courtesy of CNN
