Mother’s day widely celebrated around the world is not what we need. Historically mother’s day was widely used to celebrate the “good mums” the ones staying with the kids and educating these well. What we need is more Mompreneurs! You all should know the history of the holiday as it had some important events to know. What the problem is though: it became a commercial event. Today only flower stores are happy about it.
To be a strong woman, a loving wife and a good mother we do not need this day. In other words we need mums & mompreneurs who want to move things, who start their businesses to create more for their kids than just a good meal.
So first about the history:
History of mother’s day in the USA
First celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be found in ancient Greek and Romans history. They did held festivals in honour the goddesses Cybele and Rhea.
Following Christians did celebrate a festival known as “Mothering Sunday”- this event was especially celebrated in England. By time it changed to a more secular holiday on which the children did present flowers and small gifts to their mothers. Between the 1930 and 1940s these traditions melted with the American way of celebration.
The described American celebration of mother’s day has a different history. The celebration started in the 19th century a few years before the Civil war. A woman called Ann Reeves Jarvis in West Virginia did create the “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs”. These communities had the goal to educate mothers in their duties. How to handle children and how to be a good mother have been the main topics. In 1868 Jarvis, following the Civil war which ended in 1865, organised the “Mothers’ Friendship Day”. This day mothers did meet with soldiers to celebrate reconciliation.
Anna Jarvis – the mother of Mothers’ Day
The holiday was created though by Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Ann Reeves who died 1905. Following the death of her mother, Anna wanted to honour her and the other mums in their sacrifices made before. The first celebration was organized in May 1908 in a church in Grafton, West Virginia. As Anna obtained financial backing from a department store called John Wanamaker, in the retail stores in Philadelphia thousands did celebrate the same day with her.
Anna did the following years everything possible to add this event in the national holidays’ calendar. She wrote numerous letters to politicians to argue towards a special day for motherhood. Even though this was seen critical in the beginning as the celebrations have been based on male achievements, by 1912 many states, towns and churches adopted Mothers’s Day. Anna Jarvis did found the Mother’s Day Association to promote her event. In 1914 president Woodrow Wilson did add Mothers’ Day at second Sunday of May each year in the calendar of holidays.
Mother’s Day as a commercial event
Shortly after the holiday has been added to the official holiday calendar, flower and gift stores did pick up on it to promote and make sales.
The traditional version of going to church and visiting the mothers was turned into a sales event shortly. In 1920 Anna did urge people to stop buying cards, flowers and gifts. She did pursue groups at court who used “Mother’s Day” in promotions. She did die in 1948 and by that time has lost all control over the way this holiday was celebrated. Just a note: Anna Jarvis got never married and has been childless.
Mother’s day for feminism
As explained Mothers’ Day in the USA has been created a woman who has a cause in mind. But there was another moment in history when this day became a feminist event. It was Coretta Scott King, the wife of Martin Luther King Junior who did organize a march in 1968 that day. The march event was held to support and raise awareness for underprivileged women and children. In 1970 women groups did events as well to fight for equal rights and especially rights to access to childcare.
History of the mother’s day in France
Surprising or not, Napoleon play a role in this- as basically in all French history. He created in 1806 this celebration in France on which the spring season was celebrated. But the real start of this tradition dates later in 1918 in Lyon. A colonel started this holiday following celebration which happened the years before to celebrate “mothers which did great”.
May 25th 1941 finally Marshal Pétain did create the so called “journée nationale des mères“. 1950 after Second World War president Vincent Auriol added this to the holiday calendar and fixed it to last Sunday of May. If this would fall to same day as Whitsun it will be the first Sunday in June.
Inspired by the American way of doing the stores did opt as well for special promotions and offers this days- and people followed.
History of the holiday in Germany
Following the promotions done by Anna Jarvis the Mother’s Day has been established in Germany following First World War with the first celebration in 1922. 1933 it became an official holiday.
A negative aspect came to this celebration in Germany as following Anna there has been another person promoting this event: Hitler. He did promote this celebration to praise the “good German mothers” who did serve the country and helped to get “truly German babies”.
And as in every country the ones makes biggest profit today are the flower stores.
Mother’s day in France in 2020 is on 7th of June and in Germany and the USA on 10th of May.
And as we know this now we can see that even though the intention might have been good, this is not up to date anymore. Kids love their mum every single day and should show this every day as well. Like Valentin’s day- you can celebrate it, but best to show your love each and every day, don’t you think?
What we need is a society that supports all moms and mompreneurs, that encourages mothers to go further and as a result that stop saying: “Are you sure that baby and business are a good idea?”
Mompreneur
We need more Mompreneurs! Moms who are entrepreneurs. Both is possible, maybe not easy, but girls go so far – you can go much further!
To get kids or not is the choice of everyone but the important message is that if you want kids, get kids. If you don’t, don’t get kids. You see, it can be this easy!
And more important if you have kids and you want to start a business, start a business! This is to say if it feels right you will be able to do so. If you think of it, all moms can be mompreneurs with the amazing multi-tasking skills we have !
Some say a start-up is like a baby and we believe they are right. It is a lot of work in the beginning; you start with not much and need to spend a lot of hours for first results. Mompreneurs will work day and night, get less sleep than before and sometimes question yourself. But it is worth it!
It is not easy, but if you feel it is right, it will be. Juggle between family and business will ask some organization and some hustle but we know you are a strong woman and you can do it.
Dadpreneur
Ok, now this: there are Dadpreneurs! The dads who decide to be as well entrepreneurs. Funny you think, this sounds like normal man? Ok and this is the problem. While we highlight women being mum and entrepreneur, this is normal for dads. Most of the times it means that the woman simply takes care of the baby, nothing special.
This is wrong: There are dads starting a business and the mums are working full-time as well. Or did you ever think how about gay couples? Yes, Dadpreneurs exist and we should certainly treat them the same way as Mompreneurs!
Support the Mompreneurs and Dadpreneurs
What we are asking for is to support working mums and working dads more. No need for a special holiday once a year or for flowers and gifts. No need that your child shows you once a year their love. What we need is a society which will support women the same way they support men, for mompreneurs to thrive.
We ask for companies and employees supporting their working girls to become mothers. To support them going for less hours after giving birth and to understand that there are things more important than being in the office. As a result we also want companies allowing the dads to leave early to pick up the kids and not just occasionally but whenever they want.
We ask for better acceptance of distance work and home office. Likewise for mothers and for fathers.
In conclusion we ask for equality! We do not want to hear anymore that question “are you sure you can handle it?” – Yes you can! We want to hear “you are doing great” or again we want to hear “congratulations for your work” and not “wow, even with a baby you can do this?”
Be a mum or a dad or an entrepreneur. Be a wife or a husband. Simply be whatever you want to be!
