Why Did the Woman Who Established the Tradition of Mother’s Day Regret It?

News Desk 

Islamabad: Each year, across the globe, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. This year, it lands on May 12th (today), with the aim of honoring the countless sacrifices and tireless efforts made by mothers in nurturing and safeguarding their children.

The tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day was established by American social activist Anna Jarvis. Moved by her mother’s endeavors during the Civil War, Jarvis initiated a movement in the United States to designate a specific day to honor mothers.

In 1908, she organized a special ceremony in remembrance of her mother, laying the groundwork for establishing a dedicated day for all mothers to commemorate their contributions.

How Did Mother’s Day Evolve into a Commercialized Holiday?

Following Anna Jarvis’s persistent efforts, American President Woodrow Wilson officially designated the second Sunday of May in 1914 as Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis later regretted her initiative in establishing the tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day. Witnessing the exploitation of Mother’s Day by large corporations for their commercial gain, Jarvis began to question her decision to introduce this tradition.

By the 1920s, Mother’s Day had gained widespread popularity, with companies capitalizing on the occasion by selling specialized cards and gifts. Jarvis disapproved of this commercialization, feeling that it detracted from the significance of the day.

She opposed the excessive spending on lavish flowers, cards, and chocolates, believing that genuine appreciation should not be measured by material possessions.

Until her final days, Anna Jarvis devoted herself to preserving the sanctity of Mother’s Day, even at the cost of financial strain, as she invested heavily to safeguard the day from commercial exploitation. Tragically, Anna Jarvis succumbed to heart failure in November 1948.