Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day. A day society tells us has to be today. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother to pieces, but why do I need to express my love stronger today than any other? Why are we expected to buy gifts, cook breakfast, make coffee and bring flowers in abundance just today. Can't we make these offerings sporadically throughout the year, or every other day to show our appreciation for the wonderful human that gave us life. 

I ventured to the shopping centre yesterday and wow!! It took me over 20 minutes to hunt down a car park, an exercise that usually takes 2 minutes;  it almost wasn't worth it. So if there are this many cars out here, how many people would be inside? It was crazy! Dads with prams and small children, all juggling flowers and chocolates, perfumes and all sorts of bags of goodies. I don’t mean to be the group’s Negative Nancy but I feel today is one of money making for companies.

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) claim “around $2 billion” will be spent on celebrating mother’s day this year. Wholly Wow. Just when we thought the economy was on it’s way down; we can collectively come up with a quick $2 billion to express our love and gratitude. Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman claims today is our second biggest celebration behind Christmas.  

I don’t only feel this way about Mother’s Day, but also Father’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas and all of the other day’s the government declare viable for celebration. Two of these celebratory days are religious based, which many in this country do not follow or practise. It seems the reasons to celebrate are a little lost with the frenzy in spending. For all of the other declared occasions, can we not celebrate days like today often, regularly across the year, without the need to spend a squillion dollars at the shops? But to share  a day, spend time and talk, regularly. Is it that we express through buying now, that it is expected? Is it we need to be told or reminded to appreciate each other, that we forget the other 364 days of the year how special our mums are, or our dads?

History.com claim, “Anna Jarvis had originally conceived Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.”

Mother’s Day officially started and was celebrated in 1908 by Jarvis; although, there is talk of ancient civilisations honouring mother goddesses many moons ago. So why has such an important day turned commercial with the added pressured of making it great?

What does today mean for you and your family, aside from the shopping you did for your Ma; do you have any traditions, I’d love to hear them.

Amber x

Photo Credit: Georgianna Lane