Happy Mother’s Day! And who knew that the day is dedicated to each individual mother and that its creator Anna Jarvis “insisted on this particular punctuation placement”, with the apostrophe before the s, when she created it in 1908. It didn’t become a national holiday in the US until 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson made it one. It was first officially celebrated in Australia in 1924 although it had been celebrated in church services as early as 1910.
Fun (?) fact: Anna Jarvis spent much of her later life actively fighting against the holiday’s commercialisation and exploitation. She envisioned Mother’s Day as a day to honour mothers through personal expressions and visits, not as a commercial enterprise. She actively campaigned against the commercialisation, organizing boycotts and even taking legal action against companies using “Mother’s Day” in advertising. By the early 1940s, she had become infirm, and was placed in a sanatorium by friends and associates. In one of her last public appearances, Jarvis was seen going door-to-door in Philadelphia, asking for signatures on a petition to rescind Mother’s Day. She died, alone, on November 24, 1948. Rumour has it that a portion of her medical bills were paid for by florists as she had lost her personal fortune in the legal battles she waged against the commercialisation of Mother’s Day.
Wow, M Kaz, that’s all a bit dark for a Sunday morning in May!
Let’s think about something a bit cheerier. I know – let’s start Cat’s Day. Oh wait …. there is already one. That would be International Cat Day which is on 8 August. It was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Hmmmmm …. I think the Mummies have to lift their game. I haven’t see International Cat Day celebrated at Jannie in the six years I’ve been here! Now you know that I know, M Kaz and M Sooz, let’s hope that changes!
I’ll wait in my television or on the recliner. It is getting cooler in the evenings and I somehow don’t think those Mothers are going to be bringing my (Mimi) cat tower back inside any time soon. So I’ve moved inside in the evenings, and even on some of the colder mornings. The chances of me not having to run Outback to use my litter tray are not looking good either. Brrrrr …. I don’t think I’m looking forward to doing that in Winter!
Nigella ... 