Published by Green by Design under Events

Like many others, I’ve always had this sneaking suspicion that lots of holidays were created by greeting card companies and florists. Hallmark and FTD notwithstanding, it turns out that Mother’s Day is a real holiday with ancient origins.

Since time immemorial, the world has celebrated maternal values with feasts and festivals. The ancient Greek goddess Μήτηρ (Mētēr or Mother, according to Wikipedia) preceded the Roman myth of Magna Mater, or Great Mother, who was celebrated each spring.

MothersDayCentral.com (there’s a website for everything) informs us that a clerical decree in England created Mothering Day in the 1600s, broadening the celebration to include real mothers, not only mythological ones. In 1870, Julia Ward Howe, the Yankee who wrote The Battle Hymn of the Republic, authored the Mother’s Day Proclamation in as a call for peace and disarmament.

But it was on May 8th, 1914, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the official resolution to designate the U.S. holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May every year. The resolution paid tribute to the persistence and dedication of Anna Marie Jarvis, a West Virginian who petitioned for a national Mother’s Day, after having vowed at her mother’s gravesite in 1905 to dedicate her life to the memory of the woman she lost, and to honor all mothers.

The story has it that the intensity of Anna’s grief stemmed from a mother-daughter quarrel whose reconciliation was prevented by her mother’s unexpected death. So it looks like guilt may have been a prime motive behind the holiday. That’s my take, at least.

Interestingly, Anna ended up becoming a major opponent of Mother’s Day after the holiday became commercialized. She was even arrested in 1948 for disturbing the peace. So I share some of Anna’s sentiments and am not a big fan of setting aside a single token day for Mother’s Day. (The same applies to Earth Day.)

Just consider all that a mother does. Not only does she bring us into the world, she also loves us, feeds us, sacrifices for us on many of levels. She endures our (my!) tantrums and rebellions and never wavers. She takes care of us, even when we are adults with our own children. My mother still thinks that I need to be fed well at least once a week; somehow, at age 41, I still don’t eat enough to satisfy her.

Even if we’re a little Grinchy, most of us would like to show appreciation for our mothers or a special woman who has mothered us. Seeing as we GreenByDesigners like to advocate environmental responsibility, here are a few items that may be employed to pamper Mom as well as Mother Earth.

I asked my wife, and mother of three boys, for help on this list (so, guys, you know they’re pre-screened and therefore likely to hit the mark).

For the ultimate day of indulgence, a spa tops my wife’s list. The Travel to Wellness website helps locate a green spa in your neighborhood. For the mother who loves yoga, there are plenty of excellent gifts at Gaiam. If you wish to provide comfort, then a bathrobe or blanket would be like giving a hug that stays around; again, Gaiam offers good choices.

All women love skin lotion. Creams that are organic and good for you can be purchased at your local health food store or on the Jason website.

The Etsy website offers beautiful handmade journals, greeting cards, and prints. Here are a few that my wife recommended:

• A journal made from recycled materials with a hoot owl on a tree cover, from AnUrbanTwist2
• Keep Calm and Carry On! tree-free cards with the famous British saying from World War II, from lavendergreetings
• A vibrant original collage piece made from recycled magazine pieces, from artandphilanthropy

Mothers really appreciate homemade gifts. If you’re the Martha Stewart sort, then dig up an old wool sweater you’ve squirreled away and make her some felt slippers. Or go to the local thrift store and find some wonderful pieces that may need only a bit of tweaking to bring out their giftable glories. All it takes is some imagination and hot glue.

The advent of spring lures us out into the garden. A nifty idea for the green-thumb Earth Goddess mom is to send is a card that can be planted and that grows into wildflowers.

We can’t make a list of green Mother’s Day gifts without including at least one from Green By Design. One of our favorites is the Zulu-inspired bracelet made from recycled telephone wire, made by women who generate income for education and HIV/AIDS support.

Of course, when all is said and done, no matter what you give, your mother is certain to love it because it comes from you. Few things in life can match that for sweet and reliable.