More Mother, Less Money

F0llowing on from my previous post, another two women, mother and daughter are also given credit for establishing Mother's Day. However the younger, having got it made a national holiday in the USA, then spent much of her life and all her money campaigning against it, because she felt it had become excessively commercialised. Regrettably, her campaign failed and the greetings card industry continues to invent ever more (and ever more bizarre) "Days" we are exhorted to celebrate by spending money on their products.

A quick search of two online greetings sites turned up not only traditional religious festivals and such reasonably well established celebrations as Father's Day and International Women's Day, but the following (and that's not counting all the special "Weeks" and "Months" and birthdays of famous people):
Act Happy Day, Administrative Professionals Day, Alfred Hitchcock Day, Awkward Moments Day, Banana Cream Pie Day, Be Heard Day, Black Forest Cake Day, Boss's Day, Bridge Players Day, Bunsen Burner Day, Buzzard Day, Cabin Fever Day, Cereal Day, Chocolate Caramel Day, Chocolate Cheesecake Day, Chocolate Covered Raisins Day, Cuddly Kitten Day, Curlew Day, Dance Day, Day Of The Seal, Dentists' Day, Department Store Day, Doctor's Day, Dream Day, Employee Appreciation Day, Everything You Do Is Right Day, Father-in-law's Day, Flower Day, Fly A Kite Day, Frankenstein's Birthday, Genius Day, Give Up Easily Day, Go Commando Day, Grandparents And Grandchildren Day, Grandparents Day, Groundhog Day, Hiccup Day, Hot Tub Day, Houdini Day, Hug A GI Day, I Want You To Be Happy Day, International Astrology Day, International Goof Off Day, Irish American Day, Let's Laugh Day, Liberty Day, Money Day, Mother-in-Law's Day, Multiple Personality Day, National Anthem Day, National Day of Prayer, No Smoking Day, Nurses Day, Paper Dress Day, Peanut Butter Lover's Day, Pecan Day, Photography Day, Pi Day, Pig Day, Pitchers Day, Plan A Solo Vacation Day, Plant A Flower Day, Potato Chip Day, Pulaski Day, Quilting Day, Read Across America Day, Receptionist Day, Respect Your Cat Day, Roller Coaster Day, Salesperson's Day, Santa's List Day, Say Hi To Mom Day, Share A Smile Day, Sing Out Day, Single Parents Day, Smile Rejuvenation Day, St. Urho's Day (apparently he is credited with driving the grasshoppers out of Finland – bet you didn’t know that – though he might have just been made up by the Finns to trump St Patrick, who drove the snakes out of Ireland), Stop The Clocks Day, Submarine Day, Swallows Day, Sweetest Day, Tavern Day, Telephone Day, Uranus Day, White Day, Workplace Napping Day, World Theatre Day, World Water Day

Much as I love the sound of some of these, surely they can't all be serious? And do I have to send two cards to each person on Multiple Personality Day?

Here we go a-mothering

The Americans usually get the credit for inventing Mother's Day. But long before Julia Ward Howe came up with the idea, the British celebrated Mothering Sunday, which today is more or less the British equivalent, but originally had an entirely different meaning (and is still celebrated as a church festival today).

I've often wondered why Hong Kong, despite being a former British colony, follows the American date instead of the British one (three weeks before Easter). Be that as it may, I'd like to wish my mother a Happy Mothering Sunday today.

That Thing You Do (if you're a cat)

Anyone who knows cats will find this anusing: my brother and his wife, after a few days away from home, reported that, "when we got back, [our cat] was so pleased to see us that he forgot to do that cat thing of turning his back and pretending that he didn’t care one way or the other".

Bigger than Bruce?

Acid-tongued American Idol impresarion Simon Cowell claims he's bigger than Bruce Springsteen.

That would depend on whether you were comparing his ego or his artistry.

Poor Little Rich Girl

Celebrities really do live in a different world. Naomi Campbell has to attend classes in anger management, following yet another assault on one of her domestic staff.

Let's see now - Naomi is widely regarded as one of the world's most beautiful women, is enormously rich, has an army of servants to wait on her hand and foot, gets to travel to all sorts of exotic places, is invited to loads of premieres and award ceremonies, hobnobs with other rich and famous people, eats in the finest restaurants (and owns some herself), and wears clothes by the world's leading designers. She doesn't even have to write her own books.

Yes, I can really see what she has to be angry about...

'Twas Ever Thus

I haven't had time to post much lately, but to keep you going here's a thought-provoking cartoon borrowed from Private Eye, which I've been reading for 40 years now.

For more on Hogarth, see here. The poster depicted is an extract from his picture Gin Lane. Personally I find there are times when nothing hits the spot like a cool gin and tonic, but it's awful stuff to get drunk on (particularly, so a friend assures me, the cheap brand sold in Wellcome). Like Hogarth, I'm more of a beer man myself.