A quick guide to some gifts a mother is sure to love
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Why do people concern themselves with choosing just the right gift for their mother on her day? Mothers come in two styles: Those who love everything and those who love nothing.
So why worry? You're going to win (or lose) either way — picking up flowers at Kroger doesn't seem such a bad idea. At least the flowers will have a home.
Extras
Still, we love our mothers and want nothing but the best for them, so putting in a little thought is worth it.
Here's a guide to gifts for Mom, from you.
Stages of motherhood
One all-encompassing gift-giving Web site, www.gifts.com, breaks Mother's Day gift giving into its stages.
For her first Mother's Day, the site suggests items such as a mahogany-stained frame suitable for a sonogram, complete with a selection of phrases ("Bun in the Oven," "Sneak Peak"). Price: $20, plus shipping.
After diapers and before full-time school, a mom needs some "me time," and possible a cashmere robe in which to spend it. For $209.99 (plus shipping), Bare Necessities (www.barenecessities.com) will send just that in either mocha or dawn blue. Other great ideas include lunch out (baby-sitting included); dinner for two (ditto on the child-minding); a theater ticket (complete with, you guessed it, baby-sitting).
When the kids hit the teenage years, it's peace of mind a mother seeks above all. And though we searched, it's hard to buy such an intangible. Still, reminders of the family (portable digital photo albums or keychains) and ways to tune them out (iPod shuffle) will hit the Mother's Day spot. Brookstone has a 3.5-inch on-the-go photo album for right around $100; digital photo keychains can be found there for $40. If you can't find an iPod, you're not looking — they're everywhere from Wal-Mart to Meijer, and a itty-bitty shuffle starts at $50.
Empty-nesters can be "honored" with gifts celebrating their free time — a ready-made picnic of wine and cheese or a day at the spa would surely hit the spot.
There needn't be much hand-wringing over a gift for a grandmother — anything having to do with the little darlings should suffice. Frame a childhood drawing; tape-record a greeting; get them all around the phone for an en masse assault on her senses.
Then, if all else fails, there are flowers.
Roses are lovely, but they're for lovers: Nothing says, "Love you, Mom," like tulips, but if that's not as creative as you'd like, check out
www.ediblearrangements.com.
It's not chocolate — so no weight concerns — and it's not flowers — so no cliche problems. Edible Arrangements delivers fresh fruit bouquets, fresh as daisies and tasty as dessert.
Their Mother's Day Delight isn't cheap — $106 — but the melon and berry display comes with a watering can and a little bear (stuffed).
If your mother doesn't get a kick out of that, well, Father's Day is just around the corner.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2403 or
ldempsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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Mother's Day became an official day of celebration in the United States in 1911; Canada followed suit in 1914. Truth is, though, the "holiday" was celebrated long before that.
The concept of celebrating mothers started with the ancient Greeks, according to Jennifer Kinnon, a Hallmark spokeswoman. "Of course, it wasn't about cards or special brunches at first."
Back then, it was all about the goddesses.
The Greeks honored Rhea, the Mother of the Gods; Romans celebrated Cy-bele, a mother goddess. And in the British Isles and Celtic Europe, people celebrated the goddess Brigid — complete with a toast of the first milk of the ewes in spring, according to the Hallmark archives.
In the 1600s in England, the fourth Sunday of Lent was designated as Mothering Sunday, and servants were given the day off to spend time with their mothers. In America, Civil War heroine Julia Ward Howe initiated the idea of creating a Mother's Day as a celebration of peace.
Mother's Day really took root in 1907, when Anna M. Jarvis persuaded her church to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death.
According to Hallmark's Kinnon, the first Mother's Day card appeared in the 1920s; the date is the third-largest card-sending occasion of the year (after Christmas and Valentine's Day). About 46 countries around the world have a special day dedicated to paying tribute to Mom, Kinnon said, and the dates and customs vary widely. In France, Mother's Day is treated like a birthday, and it's held on the last Sunday in May. On that day, family members have a special meal, topped off with a cake resembling a bouquet of flowers.
In Sweden, Mother's Day also is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. Just before the big day, the Swedish Red Cross sells plastic flowers to raise money for a holiday for mothers who have a number of children.
In Spain and Portugal, Mother's Day is closely linked to the church. On Dec. 8, families honor their mothers and attend services to worship the Virgin Mary.
And in Serbia, Mother's Day is celebrated three days before Christmas. On this day — known as "Materitse" or "Materice" — children tie up their mother and release her only when she has paid them with sweets or other goodies.
