By Dylan McDonough
Do you know the story behind Mother’s Day? Anna Jarvis devoted her life to creating a holiday celebrating mothers nationwide. She fought and fought to make it possible. She got financial support from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. When it finally was a known holiday, commercialism took over. By 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been changed. She outwardly denounced the holiday and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. She eventually ended up spending her personal wealth in legal fees to stop Mother’s Day. By the time of her death in 1948, Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether and even requested that the government remove it from the calendar.
So this Mother’s Day, remember Anna Jarvis and don’t let commercialism take over this holiday. What can you make out of dried macaroni for your mom?
