Carrie Lasseter with daughters Emily Elizabeth and Anna Claire
“ Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother ’ s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families ,” History . com reads . “ 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 .
“ While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother ’ s Day ’ s profile , by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized ,” the article reads . “ She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother ’ s Day flowers , cards and candies .”
Jarvis spoke out against confectioners , florists , even charities that used Mother ’ s Day in fund-raising efforts . She filed lawsuits against groups that used the name “ Mother ’ s Day ,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees , History . com says .
Anna Jarvis died in 1948 , and by then she had disowned Mother ’ s Day altogether and had lobbied the government to remove it from the calendar .
Today , Mother ’ s Day is celebrated in many nations around the world , some on the same day as in the United States . Other countries have adjusted their celebrations to fit into their own traditions .
The holiday is similar to a religious holiday called Mothering Sunday , celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent . Mothering Sunday , which dates to the Middle Ages , was originally seen as a time when Christians would return to their “ mother church ” — the main church in the vicinity of their home — for a special service , according to History . com and Brittanica . com . The more modern Mother ’ s Day has supplanted Mothering Sunday in some countries , but in others the older holiday remains strong .
18 MoultrieScene MAY 2022