How did you celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day 30 or 40 years ago?
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I agree on the commercialization of almost all holidays in the US. I've never celebrated or even acknowledged any of these holidays as an adult. As a kid 40 years ago we always made handmade cards at school for Mother's/Father's Day to give to our parents. Nothing fancy and almost no cost. I have vague memories of my father giving my mother "the day off" on Mother's Day, and she took off for the day leaving us alone with Dad who was never good at watching all three of us at once...lots of yelling, spankings, sent to our rooms, etc. LOL That's my memory of Mother's Day.
Now its "buy a $7 card" and some other drug store trinkets.
Dumb holiday.........if they make a card for it then its likely a dumb holiday outside of religious holidays or a milestone birthday
I am a mother in my late 30s and moved to the US 18 years ago. I had never celebrated Mother's Day or Father's Day before moving to the US. My kids receive a budget from my husband and order gifts from Amazon. Even though I enjoy the gifts, I feel that Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Valentine's Day have become more commercialized and focused on consumerism. I searched Google and found that people started celebrating Mother's Day in 1914. How did you celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day 30 or 40 years ago?
I would like to say that to me, Mother's Day is not a "what do you want for Mother's Day" thing. I prefer no gifts, but more than anything in the world, I just want to be surrounded by my kids and their children and enjoy the day with good, quality time. That is all I ever want for Mother's Day.
For those of you that don't celebrate Mother's Day due to gifts and the commercialism involved, just plan a day with your Mom so she can be with her family on this special day. It will mean more to her than any gift, no matter what it is.
I am a mother in my late 30s and moved to the US 18 years ago. I had never celebrated Mother's Day or Father's Day before moving to the US. My kids receive a budget from my husband and order gifts from Amazon. Even though I enjoy the gifts, I feel that Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Valentine's Day have become more commercialized and focused on consumerism. I searched Google and found that people started celebrating Mother's Day in 1914. How did you celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day 30 or 40 years ago?
Those days are generally celebrated with a family dinner, either kids cooking for the parents or going out to eat. Restaurants have become so crowded we generally cook at someone's home. And a cake. There is usually a small gift involved. Often it is a special chore done for them.
My favorite mother's day gift is a load of mulch or bags of potting soil and/or a foot rub.
I would like to say that to me, Mother's Day is not a "what do you want for Mother's Day" thing. I prefer no gifts, but more than anything in the world, I just want to be surrounded by my kids and their children and enjoy the day with good, quality time. That is all I ever want for Mother's Day.
For those of you that don't celebrate Mother's Day due to gifts and the commercialism involved, just plan a day with your Mom so she can be with her family on this special day. It will mean more to her than any gift, no matter what it is.
Yes, this.
Just a day to enjoy being with your family. It does not matter where or what you do as long as you are together.
I would like to say that to me, Mother's Day is not a "what do you want for Mother's Day" thing. I prefer no gifts, but more than anything in the world, I just want to be surrounded by my kids and their children and enjoy the day with good, quality time. That is all I ever want for Mother's Day.
For those of you that don't celebrate Mother's Day due to gifts and the commercialism involved, just plan a day with your Mom so she can be with her family on this special day. It will mean more to her than any gift, no matter what it is.
That is all I ever wanted too. My late husband didn't like "special days" and it was very hard for me. BUT, I picked him and loved him and I know he loved me. In the end, I just gave up all holidays after my daughter moved out. It was easier.
For Mother's Day all I would want is exactly what Bootsamillion posted. To be invited over to my kids house and we all share the day with family. I don't need a card or anything. Actually I'm used to nothing or the dreaded "well I have to do something, so let's go out and I can sit here with you and not talk and look unhappy" meal. Ugh, it was awful.
As a kid my mom would have her mom, dad, and our grandparents over for Mother's Day. It was always a nice time. I don't recall any gifts or anything. It was a day with family.
Now its "buy a $7 card" and some other drug store trinkets.
Dumb holiday.........if they make a card for it then its likely a dumb holiday outside of religious holidays or a milestone birthday
Meh, as a mother, the best card is a homemade one. Even written with crayon on a piece of notebook paper.
If there is distance between us a phone call. It is just a day to celebrate and appreciate those we love.
Sometimes my grown son's just say "oh, is it mother's day, happy mothers day".
One year my teenage son handed me a very small rooster trinket he picked up at the flee market they were having that day.
Another year the little girls who lived across the street and had moved out of state called me from the closet (so their parents would not know) to wish me a happy mother's day. Zip from my own kids.
It is just nice to be acknowledged for being a positive influence in someone's life. A homemade card, a phone call, a head nod, an afterthought. You dont have to buy a $7 card. Its all good.
I am a mother in my late 30s and moved to the US 18 years ago. I had never celebrated Mother's Day or Father's Day before moving to the US. My kids receive a budget from my husband and order gifts from Amazon. Even though I enjoy the gifts, I feel that Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Valentine's Day have become more commercialized and focused on consumerism. I searched Google and found that people started celebrating Mother's Day in 1914. How did you celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day 30 or 40 years ago?
I agree with you, and it has been going on as a commercial enterprice in the U.S. for more than 40 years. When I was a kid we made a card for our mother for mother's day and our dad for father's day. That was it. When my kids were little they would buy a card for me. When they were older I got small gifts for father's day as a show of appreciation for being both parents. It was a little joke but very sweet. The first time they did it they gave me a coffee cup that said "World's Best Dad". We don't make a big deal over any of the commercial holidays, though my daughter has asked if we want to go out for lunch for mother's day. "We" is me and my 91 year old aunt. "
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30 years ago my mother was 800 miles away, so I would call her and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Eventually a few years later she moved up top our state but was still 3 hours away, but on 3 acres and older, so I would go up on that weekend and spend the two days planting their extensive vegetable garden and two greenhouses, and helping around their place with anything else they needed. I would get back home by the afternoon Sunday so we could have a mother's day celebration dinner at our house with the kids, and I did the cooking. We have never celebrated Valentine's Day at all since getting married in 1974 but have been married for 50 years.
My poor mom... when I was a kid in the 1970s, I would do the whole, "breakfast in bed for Mom" and I went whole hog. My mom was a smoker (like a lot of adults back then) and would have probably preferred to get up, go pee, and have a cigarette before having eggs, toast, bacon, etc. all foisted upon her while still in bed.
From what I remember, she was a good sport, though. Especially during my "very creative" years when I would make artistic creations with the food... a tower of toast and faces made with eggs and sausage, maybe some licorice for "hair." Did the same for Dad's lunches until be begged me to just make a "regular sandwich." One year, I decided I wanted to see what would happen if I put the toaster "cozy" back on when the bread was IN the toaster. I was sure the toast would cause the cozy to pop up and hit the ceiling. (It didn't. Turns out, the cozy burns rather quickly when the toaster is ON.)
For myself, I always prefer days that are not holidays. I don't expect gifts and in fact, would prefer my 34-year old son save his money, rather than spend it on me. He shows me how much he loves me and cares about me every day of the year. As do I for my own mother.
I am a mother in my late 30s and moved to the US 18 years ago. I had never celebrated Mother's Day or Father's Day before moving to the US. My kids receive a budget from my husband and order gifts from Amazon. Even though I enjoy the gifts, I feel that Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Valentine's Day have become more commercialized and focused on consumerism. I searched Google and found that people started celebrating Mother's Day in 1914. How did you celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day 30 or 40 years ago?
In the late 70s and early 80s, we always made my mother breakfast, making a huge mess in the kitchen. Then we would always barbecue burgers and hotdogs for lunch. We always had soccer for at least one of the kids, so we were often at games for some part of the day. Gifts were always things she likes, like perfume or a favorite snack.
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We don't make a big deal over any of the commercial holidays, though my daughter has asked if we want to go out for lunch for mother's day. "We" is me and my 91 year old aunt. "
