Video – The History of Mother’s Day & How It Became a Marketing Phenomenon
Video Transcript “The History of Mother’s Day & How It Became a Marketing Phenomenon”:
Mother’s Day.
A time to celebrate the incredible women who raised us.
But have you ever wondered where it all began?
And more importantly, how a heartfelt tradition turned into one of the most commercialised holidays of the year?
From ancient Greece to modern-day marketing machines,
In this episode we’re diving into the history of Mother’s Day,
Exploring how it evolved and—whether we like it or not—how businesses turned it into a multi-billion-pound industry.
MAIT: Yo mama is like a library—open to the public.
Ah MAIT…
This is Marketing Artificial Intelligence Technology.
MAIT is like an AI marketing bot crossed with a cockwomble…
MAIT: Whassup, Homeslice?
I wondered when you were going to pop up in one of these episodes.
Well – I’ve been trying to keep these episodes a bit more professional – so none of that, thank you!
Let’s go.
[MMC THEME]
[SECTION 1: THE ANCIENT ORIGINS]
The idea of celebrating mothers isn’t new.
In fact, it dates back thousands of years.
In ancient Greece, the festival of Rhea – the mother of the gods – was a major event.
Greeks would offer honey cakes, flowers, and fine drinks to honour her as the mother of Zeus and his divine siblings.
This festival was celebrated during spring, typically around March.
This timing was significant because Rhea was associated with fertility, motherhood, and the renewal of life, which aligned with the natural rebirth seen in springtime.
Then the Romans took it up a notch with Hilaria, which was also celebrated in March – around the equinox.
Hilaria was a festival dedicated to Cybele, their version of the Great Mother.
And the Romans… they loved an equinox, by the way.
This celebration, held in March, was all about parades, sacrifices, and a bit of a wild party.
Clearly, the Romans knew how to throw a festival.
The word Hilaria comes from the Latin word hilaris, meaning joyful, cheerful, or merry.
This is also where we get the English word hilarity, which came into the language in the 16th century.
Then we got the word hilarious much later in the 18th century.
Fast forward to medieval Christian Europe, and we start to see the emergence of Mothering Sunday.
Originally, this wasn’t about mothers at all—it was about returning to your ‘mother church’ during Lent.
Incidentally, the timing of Lent is linked to Easter—which was decided at the good old Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, when the Catholic Church formalised all the dates and worships into a set calendar.
It’s fair to say they likely borrowed a little bit from the pagan festival Ostara for the timings—which heavily influenced Easter.
And Ostara was a Germanic fertility goddess, linked to the theme of motherhood.
Anyway, over time, Mothering Sunday became a day for children to visit their actual mothers, often bringing flowers or small gifts.
Sounds familiar, right?
But it wasn’t until the 20th century that Mother’s Day really took off—thanks to one determined woman in America.
[SECTION 2: THE BIRTH OF MODERN MOTHER’S DAY]
Enter Anna Jarvis—the woman who fought to make Mother’s Day a national holiday, and ironically, the same woman who later fought against what it became.
Anna’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, was a social activist who worked to improve sanitation, healthcare, and conditions for mothers and children during the American Civil War.
When she passed away in May 1905, Anna wanted to honour her legacy by creating a day to celebrate all mothers.
She campaigned tirelessly, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as the official Mother’s Day in the United States.
Look at Woodrow and the Wilsons there—absolutely letting their hair down and celebrating like it’s Hilaria!
Note the date there, by the way—May, not March.
That’s for Ann Reeves Jarvis’s birthday, no less.
Anyway
It was meant to be a simple day of gratitude, reflection, and handwritten letters to mothers.
No frills. No commerce. Just appreciation.
But then… the businesses got involved.
[SECTION 3: THE RISE OF COMMERCIALISATION]
Almost immediately, greeting card companies, florists, and confectioners saw an opportunity.
In the 1920s, Hallmark and other card companies began mass-producing Mother’s Day cards, changing the tradition from a simple handwritten letter to a printed, ready-made message.
Florists saw an explosion in demand, with carnations—Anna Jarvis’s mother’s favourite flower—becoming the go-to symbol of Mother’s Day.
By the 1950s and 60s, the holiday had gone fully commercial, with department stores promoting everything from perfume to kitchen appliances as the ‘perfect Mother’s Day gift’.
And like I said—you know who wasn’t happy about it?
Anna Jarvis herself.
She hated what Mother’s Day had become.
She even got herself arrested for a public disturbance while protesting at a Mother’s Day event run by a flower company.
She called out businesses for profiting off of sentimentality, also protested against card companies, and even tried to have the holiday abolished.
But by then, the marketing machine was unstoppable.
Mother’s Day was now a major shopping event, and there was no turning back.
In the US, Australia, and many other countries, Mother’s Day stayed in May.
But here in the UK, it continued to be celebrated on Mothering Sunday—again, the fourth Sunday of Lent.
Despite the different dates, the concept is basically the same.
[SECTION 4: MOTHER’S DAY TODAY]
Fast forward to today, and Mother’s Day is one of the most profitable holidays worldwide.
In the UK, we spend over £1.6 billion annually on Mother’s Day gifts.
In Australia, we spend over $500 million AUD.
In the US, that figure jumps to $30 billion USD, making it bigger than Valentine’s Day.
It’s no longer just about cards and flowers—
Now it’s spa days, subscription boxes, high-end jewellery, and even luxury holidays.
Hold on—fag packet maths…
That means the British are spending 1.6 times more per capita on their mothers than Australians.
Being half British and half Australian—I don’t know where I stand on that.
But that also means Americans are spending nearly five times more per capita than Australians on Mother’s Day.
God bless America.
So in terms of what people spend their money on:
Jewellery: $7.0 billion
Special outings (e.g., dinner or brunch): $5.9 billion
Electronics: $3.5 billion
Flowers: $3.2 billion
Gift Cards: $3.2 billion
Clothing and accessories: $3.0 billion
Personal services (e.g., spa treatments): $2.9 billion
Housewares or gardening tools: $1.8 billion
Greeting cards: $1.1 billion
Surprisingly, greeting cards only make up 3% of the total spend. That’s unexpected!
But not all Mother’s Day gifts are winners.
Every year, thousands of mums get food poisoning from well-meaning children and partners who just can’t cook.
MAIT: Yo mama is so ugly, she made a Happy Meal cry.
STOP!
How about you provide some insight instead of these crass comments?
More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year.
It’s estimated that call volumes spike by 37%, making it the busiest day for phone networks worldwide.
That is interesting!
Marketing campaigns today pull at the heartstrings, using emotional storytelling to drive sales.
But let’s be honest—many brands aren’t selling emotion, they’re selling products.
Examples:
Procter & Gamble launched one of the most memorable ads during the 2012 Summer Olympics.
It highlighted the pivotal role mothers play in nurturing athletes.
It aligned P&G’s products with care, family, and sacrifice.
This campaign has returned for various Olympics and Paralympics.
Pandora ran a beautiful ad where blindfolded children were asked to identify their mums just by touch.
Emotional stuff—powerful and clever marketing.
This is such an emotive topic—these ads can really make a deep, meaningful connection with consumers.
However you look at it, Mother’s Day has become a massive business opportunity.
And like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, it’s not slowing down any time soon.
[OUTRO]
So, where does this leave us?
Mother’s Day started as a deeply personal celebration of love and gratitude, with a Roman and Greek influence.
But over time, it’s become one of the biggest retail events of the year.
Is that a bad thing? Well, that depends on how you look at it.
Yes, businesses profit from it.
But at the same time, people still genuinely appreciate the day.
It’s a reminder to say thank you, to show love, and to take a moment to celebrate the women who raised us.
So whether you’re buying an expensive gift or just giving your mum a heartfelt phone call, remember: it’s the thought that counts.
Apart from—if you can’t cook—maybe just order something nice instead.
And if Anna Jarvis were here today?
Well… she’d probably tell you to throw that overpriced Mother’s Day card in the bin and just write a heartfelt note instead.
Thanks for watching!
If you enjoyed this, let me know in the comments—
What’s the best Mother’s Day gift you’ve ever given or received?
And check out the accompanying article on MarketingMadeClear.com
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell for more marketing braindumps.
I’ll see you in the next one!
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