The history of Mother’s day belies the commercialism that surrounds the day today. It was originally created in 1908 by an American woman, Anna Jarvis, as a memorial to her own mother. Some also attribute the origins of Mother’s Day to Julia Ward Howe who in 1870 organised a protest of mothers who had lost their sons in the Civil War. In either case the day was created with remembrance in mind. Yet today it is largely about celebrating and recognising living mothers.