Article content
Honouring our mothers on the second Sunday of May is a tradition that dates back more than a century to 1907. But how did Calgarians mark the day 100 or so years ago? A peek at the pages of the Calgary Herald in 1921-1923 shows the day was about flowers, food and church services geared towards moms. (BTW, for those of you wondering: When Is Mother’s Day this year? Don’t worry! You’ve got a couple of days yet. It’s this Sunday, May 12, 2024)
Article content
This news story from May 12, 1922 discussed how Mother’s Day was becoming popular around the world, noting: “Mothers are God’s sweetest institutions and no homage is too great to be paid to them.”
Article content
Flowers, then as now, were a popular item to give your mother a century ago according to ads in 1921 and 1922 editions of the Calgary Herald.
The following ad doesn’t give the price of Mother’s Day flowers for sale at the City Hall Market, but it does list some other prices from the good old days: prime pot roast was 10 cents per pound, butter was 30 cents, three dozen oranges were $1 and also of note, a butcher advertised: “We Are Still Selling Fresh Killed Meat at the Price of Frozen Meat.”
Advertisers promoted Mother’s Day gifts ranging from hats and gloves to jewelry, cards and candy, as these 1923 Herald ads show.
Several churches noted in Herald pages in 1921 that special Mother’s Day services were occurring. After all, Mother’s Day does occur on a Sunday.
****
Share this article in your social network