Mother's Day 2012

Hey ladies!
I hope everyone had fun at Band Quad, and that all of your hard work this semester is paying off on the first of our exam days!

Thanks to sister Morgan Taylor for the photo!

During these times of trial and tribulation(s), it's important to remember (and acknowledge) those who help us achieve success...

Particularly, women of Kappa Delta sorority, we take high priority in honoring women who inspire us to greatness. This weekend, we will honor the women who have helped transform us into the successful ladies and leaders we are today: our mothers! Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13th. Here's a brief modern history of the holiday from Mother's Day Central:

The majority of countries that celebrate Mother's Day do so on the second Sunday of May. On this day, it is common for Mothers to be lavished with presents and special attention from their families, friends and loved ones. But it wasn't always this way...

Spiritual Origin of Mothers Day

Only recently dubbed “Mother's Day,” the highly traditional practice of honoring of Motherhood is rooted in antiquity, and past rites typically had strong symbolic and spiritual overtones; societies tended to celebrate Goddesses and symbols rather than actual Mothers. The personal, human touch to Mother’s Day is a relatively new phenomenon. The maternal objects of adoration ranged from mythological female deities to the Christian Church itself. Only in the past few centuries did celebrations of Motherhood develop a decidedly human focus.

The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized with Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on Mother’s to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their Sons killing the Sons of other Mothers. With the following, she called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood:

Arise, then, women of this day!Arise all women who have hearts,Whether your baptism be that of water or of tearsSay firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of carnage,For caresses and applause.Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearnAll that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. "We women of one countryWill be too tender of those of another countryTo allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."  From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with Our own. It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"The sword of murder is not the balance of justice!Blood does not wipe out dishonorNor violence indicate possession.As men have of ten forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war. Let women now leave all that may be left of homeFor a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the meansWhereby the great human family can live in peace,Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,But of God. In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly askThat a general congress of women without limit of nationalityMay be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenientAnd at the earliest period consistent with its objectsTo promote the alliance of the different nationalities,The amicable settlement of international questions.The great and general interests of peace. 

The Rise & Fall of Howe's Mother's Day
At one point Howe even proposed converting July 4th into Mother’s Day, in order to dedicate the nation’s anniversary to peace. Eventually, however, June 2nd was designated for the celebration. In 1873 women’s groups in 18 North American cities observed this new Mother’s holiday. Howe initially funded many of these celebrations, but most of them died out once she stopped footing the bill. The city of Boston, however, would continue celebrating Howe’s holiday for 10 more years.
Despite the decided failure of her holiday, Howe had nevertheless planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother’s Day today. A West Virginia women’s group led by Anna Reeves Jarvis began to celebrate an adaptation of Howe’s holiday. In order to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided between the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War, the group held a Mother’s Friendship Day.
Anna M. Jarvis's Mother's Day in 1908After Anna Reeves Jarvis died, her daughter Anna M. Jarvis campaigned for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in remembrance of her mother and in honor of peace. In 1908, Anna petitioned the superintendent of the church where her Mother had spent over 20 years teaching Sunday School. Her request was honored, and on May 10, 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebration took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The West Virginia event drew a congregation of 407 and Anna Jarvis arranged for white carnations—her Mother’s favorite flower—to adorn the patrons. Two carnations were given to every Mother in attendance. Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive. Andrew's Methodist Church exists to this day, and was incorporated into the International Mother’s Day Shrine in 1962. 

US Government Adoption
In 1908 a U.S. Senator from Nebraska, Elmer Burkett, proposed making Mother's Day a national holiday at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother's Day services as well as parts of Canada and Mexico.
Anna Jarvis quit working and devoted herself full time to the creation of Mother's Day, endlessly petitioning state governments, business leaders, women groups, churches and other institutions and organizations. She finally convinced the World's Sunday School Association to back her, a key influence over state legislators and congress. In 1912 West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
The Fight Over Commercialization
The holiday flourished in the United States and flowers, especially white carnations, became very popular. One business journal, Florists Review, went so far as to print, “This was a holiday that could be exploited.” But the budding commercialization of Mother's Day greatly disturbed Jarvis, so she vociferously opposed what she perceived as a misuse of the holiday. In 1923 she sued to stop a Mother’s Day event, and in the 1930's she was arrested for disturbing the peace at the American War Mothers group. She was protesting their sale of flowers. In the 1930’s Jarvis also petitioned against the postage stamp featuring her Mother, a vase of white carnations and the word “Mother’s Day.” Jarvis was able to have the words “Mother’s Day” removed. The flowers remained. In 1938, Time Magazine ran an article about Jarvis's fight to copyright Mother's Day, but by then it was already too late to change the commercial trend.In opposition to the flower industry’s exploitation of the holiday, Jarvis wrote, “What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations?” Despite her efforts, flower sales on Mother's Day continued to grow. Florist's Review wrote, “Miss Jarvis was completely squelched.”
Anna Jarvis died in 1948, blind, poor and childless. Jarvis would never know that it was, ironically, The Florist's Exchange that had anonymously paid for her care.
Modern Celebration
When the United States congress approved Mother’s Day in 1914, they designated it for the second Sunday in May, and required that the President proclaim the Holiday every year shortly prior to its commencement. A recent example of a presidential Mother’s Day proclamation can be seen here. While the president proclaims the event, some mothers who lost a child use it to protest against war.Typically a family in the United States will devote Mother’s Day to activities in honor of Mom, whether playing games, going out to dinner, taking the weekend off or going on a walk in the park. Flowers are popular, dating back to the original celebration where Anna Jarvis handed out carnations to the church-goers. It is also common to give Mother cards andchocolate candies on her special day. In the United States Mother's Day continues to be highly commercialized. 

• The National Retail Foundation estimates that Mother's Day is a $16 Billion industry.

• Google Trends shows a sharp spike in search traffic for Mother's Day on Mother's Day in the US and UK and the month leading up to it.

• Florists see their highest sales in May.

• US restaurants claim that it is the busiest day of the year.

• Long distance telephone calls also peak on this day.

• The US Postal Service experiences increased volume during the surrounding days.

• According to Hallmark (via About.com), 96% of American consumers take part in shopping on Mother's Day, while retailers report it as the second highest gift giving day of the year behind Christmas.

While some continue in Jarvis’ tradition of decrying the exploitation of the holiday, others appreciate the widespread availability of mom-oriented gifts, weekend getaways, brunch specials and other reminders of the day. Contemporary cultural awareness of Mother’s Day may have grown as a result of commercialism, but there's no denying that this is an occasion most consumers now take full advantage of, as a chance to pay special tribute to Mom.

Even if we can't be with our mothers on Mother's Day this year, there are plenty of ways to show them that we care! Here are a few (relatively inexpensive) gift ideas I've assembled for everyone, as well as a few "Pinteresting" ideas for our moms/stepmoms/mother figures! Keep in mind that in lieu of gifts, a phone call or card is always a thoughtful idea. Let them know you care & that you're thinking of them on this special day!

Created using Polyvore.com

1. Lilly Pulitzer acrylic pitcher, $28
2. Lilly Pulitzer tumbler, $15
3. Lilly Pulitzer Melamine serving tray, $36
4. Vera Bradley place mat, $9.60 (each)
5. Lilly Pulitzer earrings, $38
6. ModCloth Cheeseburger coasters, $7.99
7. Kate Spade watch, $175
8. Acrylic monogrammed necklace, $58
9. Hanae Mori gift set (includes 1.7 oz bottle, lotion, and roller), $75
10. Clarins instant beauty gift set, $60
11. Francesca's bejeweled necklace, $24
12. Yves St. Laurent gift set, $30
13. Miss Dior Cherie gift set, $107
14. Lilly Pulitzer charm bracelet, $58
15. Nordstrom gift card, custom value

"Pinteresting" Ideas!

Photo plant

DIY Customized "Reasons I Love You" Book

Custom Photo Jars/Glasses

Footprint Stool. Awww!!!

Handprint cut outs/frames. Precious! 

That's all for now, ladies! 

Let me know how your week goes, or if you need any emotional support for this stress-filled exam week! Study hard and have confidence! I have full faith in you girls! We've got the best GPA on campus... We can do it!

Love y'all and good luck!

AOT