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The marketing effort quickly grew out of hand. Anna Jarvis advised people to rebel, to wear buttons instead of flowers and to refrain from giving Mother's Day gifts at all. "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment," she said, "not profit." Obviously, no one listened. As early as the 1920s, Mother's Day was one of America's biggest commercial holidays, and it remains near the top for flowers purchased, cards sent, and phone calls made. Sue Ellen Thompson's book Holiday Symbols (Omnigraphics, 2nd ed. 2000) classifies the observance as "promotional" rather than "religious" or even, like Memorial Day, "national or patriotic."

Depending on the family, any of these categories could apply. Whether motherhood is better celebrated with flags, rallies, or bouquets (or, for my mother, with Cubs tickets) is a separate question.

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More Christian History, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church's past, is available at ChristianHistory.net. Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine are also available.

For more articles and resources on Mother's Day, see Christianity Today's holiday page.

Christian History Corner appears every Friday at ChristianityToday.com. Previous editions include:

The Profligate Provocateur | In the twelfth century, an intellectual challenge to church authority proved much more dangerous than a sex scandal. (Apr. 19, 2002)

'Hier Stehe Ich!' | When Martin Luther stood up for his ideas at the Diet of Worms, did he really say, "Here I stand"? (April 12, 2002)

National Makeover | Washington's struggle to sell the American image overseas illustrates how sharply today's reality differs from seventeenth-century ideals. (Apr. 5, 2002)

Easter Eloquence | The holiday has inspired great words from some of history's greatest preachers. (March 28, 2002)

The Other Holy Day | In the rush toward Good Friday and Easter, don't forget Maundy Thursday. (March 22, 2002)

The Politics of Patrick | In the field of Irish history, every turn of phrase hints at the author's spin. (March 15, 2002)

Don't Touch That Dial | Could a bitter debate among religious broadcasters really cause a "full-scale split in evangelicalism"? (Mar. 8, 2002)

Translation Wars | Sharp as debate over the TNIV may be, the version's translators are getting off easy compared to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale. (March 1, 2002)

The Cremation Question | Firm belief in resurrection hasn't kept Christians from caring-and arguing-about what happens to the bodies of the dead. (Feb. 22, 2002)

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May (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46