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Why I don’t believe in celebrating Mother’s Day

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Geetika Sasan Bhandari
Geetika Sasan BhandariMay 08, 2016 | 14:22

Why I don’t believe in celebrating Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day means nothing to me. Neither as a mother, nor as a daughter. It’s not a "festival" or a day I grew up celebrating, and hence, despite all the hype and hoopla greeting card companies may try to induce, I’m unmoved. It will never elicit the kind of natural joy and enthusiasm a birthday will, and there’s nothing I can do about that.

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Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the person who fought for Mother’s Day to be recognised as a holiday in the US, a lady called Anna Jarvis, herself became resentful of the festival later when card companies started selling Mother’s Day cards, somewhere in the 1920s.

She started the campaign way back in 1905 (yes, it’s over 100 years old), the year she lost her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who had cared for wounded soldiers in the American Civil War. Jarvis believed the idea she had started out with had been exploited, and threatened to take the companies to court.

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Everyday gestures and simple pleasures will always mean much more.  

So, here it is. The festival that has now been reduced to a gifting circus and mere tokenism is just what it was not meant to be. As any mum will tell you, motherhood is full of unexpected joys and the best moments and memories can never be scripted. Sure, in our hectic lives, it’s nice to find time to spend with loved ones, but if you need a date on a calendar to act as an emotional wake up call, it’s time to sit back and think.

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The other thing that bothers me is the added expectation any such day brings. With companies looking to cash in on emotions, large advertisements will play out in newspapers and across television, restaurants and spas will announce vouchers and discounts, and many mums and children will feel the burden to go out and make it a day to remember. And the one thing all of us mums can do without is added steam. On most days we’re pretty much walking-talking pressure cookers anyway.

Whether it’s your own children or your mum, everyday gestures and simple pleasures will always mean much more. A heartfelt letter, email or even an SMS can put a smile on a mum’s face. And every mother knows in her heart what her kids feel for her and what she feels for her own mum. And that feeling doesn’t need a date.

Last updated: May 13, 2018 | 11:07
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