It felt like it would never come, but May is finally here. Which means in two Sundays’ time, families will gather to celebrate their matriarchs by binging on eggs Benedict, taking on mom’s usual chores, presenting her with bouquets of her favorite flowers, surprising her with thoughtful gifts, and so on and so forth.
More phone calls will be made than on any other day of the year. It’ll be a great day for service carriers—Mother’s Day chats have been known to cause up to 37 percent spikes in phone traffic. Perhaps, in Washington, there’ll be a demonstration in support of equal pay for equal work. In the past, political leaders like Coretta Scott King used Mother’s Day raise awareness of feminist causes, like her 1968 march in support of underprivileged women and children.
Sure, Ann Jarvis, the veritable creator of Mother’s Day, was so distraught with how commercialized the holiday ultimately became that she later (unsuccessfully) tried to dismantle it. Originally meant as a day to honor the sacrifices moms make for their children at a time when most American holidays celebrated male achievements, Jarvis was understandably miffed when the floral industry and then-Hallmarks of the world seized upon her idea for capital gain.
Well, Ann, we are capable of both feeling appreciation for our moms and expressing that sentiment through presents. Younger kids can get away with crafting a special token for mom, but once you reach a certain age, May 1st means it’s time to hit the online boutiques.
Thankfully, in early May there are plenty of online deals to offset the commercial aspect of the holiday.