Yesterday was Mother's Day.
Mother's Day is one of those holidays that is often treated as a commercial creation. There is sentiment but it is manufactured for the purpose of selling knick-knacks. We buy the cards, we buy the flowers, it's a job done.
The story behind it is a little more interesting.
Anna Jarvis began her campaign to make Mother's Day a recognized U.S. holiday in 1905, the year her own mother passed away. By 1911 all U.S. states observed the day and it was recognized nationally in 1914.
The commercialization of the holiday began almost immediately and Anna unsuccessfully attempted to get the day rescinded. She organized boycotts, threatened lawsuits, and was eventually arrested for disturbing the peace in her attempts to stop the misuse of the day.
Mother's Day is now celebrated across most of the world with most countries relating it to their own pre-existing traditions.
It goes without saying that the holiday is controversial among the smart set, who despise the nuclear family and see motherhood as a threat to the atomized individualism that makes peasants easy to control. The idea of setting aside an entire day to express gratitude for "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world" is repugnant to them and thus if for no other reason worthwhile.
A lot of people have had terrible mothers. It is understandable that this day would be unpleasant to them. We can all agree though that motherhood done well is a critical ingredient to a person's formation.
For more information please follow the Infogalactic Mother's Day link.
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