# PSA for Mother's Day: Not Every Woman Is A Mother **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2026, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908 "2026-05-08T13:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/65 "2026-05-11T16:39:47Z")
So you can’t wish your wife who you share children with a Happy Mother’s day? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/66 "2026-05-11T17:02:20Z")
Yeah, she wouldn’t be a mother; at least to those specific children w/o you. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/67 "2026-05-11T20:45:35Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Women’s Day is May 8 internationally, don’t know if there is a Men’s Day (probably not). Wrong-o, International Men’s Day is November 19. Have a happy one! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/68 "2026-05-11T21:20:09Z")
Ref the last couple posts & poking fun at Mother’s Day… I sent this msg to my GF today. Her very aged Mom is still doing well. > Have to laugh … > > Macy’s has been txting me 3x/day for the last 2 weeks about Mother’s Day specials. Was getting tiresome. > > So today they’ve started on Father’s Day. > > Macy’s is so over yo’ Mama! She thought it was funny. Hope y’all do too. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/69 "2026-05-11T21:48:15Z")
And yeah, I received a few “Happy Mother’s Day” greetings yesterday, despite never having had kids (not that anyone who wished me HMD knew anywhere near enough about me to be aware of that). It doesn’t bug me personally, but it bugs me a little bit **im** personally, because I think it’s kind of nice to have a few holidays that are about specific personal relationships rather than just being Universal Day Off or Party Day. I regret that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are turning into just another generic-good-wishes-from-strangers opportunity. (Not to mention Valentine’s Day. I do **not** want my dental practice wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day, no matter how fond of me they happen to be!) So I’m happy to stand in solidarity with the Make-Mother’s-Day-A-Family-Event-Again movement. Redirect the energy and attention you save from wishing HMD to random strangers towards honoring the specific maternal relationships that you personally care about. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/70 "2026-05-12T00:19:41Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Oh, and a couple of years ago, online vendors started asking if I wanted to be left off any Mothers/Fathers Day email promotions. Nice to be asked. I’ve also gotten a bunch of these this year. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > … but with a dude, I can’t even say, “Thanks, you too!” the way you can with, for example, “Happy Thanksgiving!” or some such. Are you crazy? That’s the perfect response! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/71 "2026-05-12T00:24:35Z")
I can’t see wishing anyone Happy Mothers Day unless you share a maternal connection of some sort: your mother, your spouse’s mother, your daughter who’s a mother herself, the mother of your children, your sisters with children, the mothers in your mother’s group, etc. Not just some random mother. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/72 "2026-05-12T00:34:03Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@carrps](#): > > > > Oh, and a couple of years ago, online vendors started asking if I wanted to be left off any Mothers/Fathers Day email promotions. Nice to be asked. > > I’ve also gotten a bunch of these this year. Me too. Delete, delete, delete. (I have no children, and my mother died in 2004.) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/73 "2026-05-12T00:44:08Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Me too. Delete, delete, delete Why would you delete those? They’re asking if you to opt out of receiving those emails. The point is to respond, “Yes, please don’t send me the Mothers/Fathers Day promotions”. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/74 "2026-05-12T00:47:51Z")
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I didn’t mean that I got a lot of opt out offers; I didn’t get any of those. I meant that I got a batch of emails offering to sell me things for Mother’s Day. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/75 "2026-05-12T00:50:23Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I meant that I got a batch of emails offering to sell me things for Mother’s Day. Yep, I know how annoying that is. I appreciated the opt-outs. Clearly some people have been complaining to the right people. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2026, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/76 "2026-05-12T11:06:20Z")
After I’ve sent flowers or food to someone distant after one of their relatives died, I’ve started to get marketing emails from the companies. I opted out immediately as the only reason I did business with them was that someone died. ---
**Author:** ![RonF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RonF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RonF)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/77 "2026-05-16T23:47:15Z")
Mothers Day, also Fathers Day, was invented by the Halmark card company! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/78 "2026-05-17T00:33:23Z")
Not quite invented. But certainly promoted vigorously. Same with Halloween; a festival day going back millennia that exploded in importance and expense once Hallmark (two "L"s) got their grubby mitts on it. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/79 "2026-05-17T00:34:51Z")
> [@RonF](#): > > Mothers Day, also Fathers Day, was invented by the Halmark card company! As I said in post #8, it was invented by florists, card manufacturers, and csmfu companies, or at least changed to be about them. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/80 "2026-05-17T00:36:16Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > csmfu companies They’re the _worst!_ 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/81 "2026-05-17T01:51:06Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > csmfu As usual, I made a typing error Sorry about that. I meant candy. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/82 "2026-05-17T04:21:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Same with Halloween; a festival day going back millennia that exploded in importance and expense once Hallmark (two "L"s) got their grubby mitts on it. 🤨 Do you typically send out and receive many Halloween cards? ---
**Author:** ![LouMa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/louma/32/19472_2.png) [@LouMa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouMa)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/84 "2026-05-17T04:47:44Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Women’s Day is May 8 internationally, To the best of my knowledge women’s day is March 8 internationally. International Women’s Day (IWD), World Women’s Day, or Women’s Day are names for a global observance celebrated annually on March 8. It originated as an initiative of socialist organizations in the period leading up to World War I (1914–1918) as part of the struggle for equality, women’s suffrage, and the emancipation of working women. Women’s Day was first held on March 19, 1911. In 1921, its date was definitively set for March 8 by a resolution of the Second International Conference of Communist Women in Moscow. (Wikipedia) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908/85 "2026-05-17T10:56:44Z")
I send out zero. I receive one occasionally. But they do exist in a bewildering array as a wander down the greeting card aisle in September will show you. But the real money is in the decorations, costumes, party paraphernalia, etc. And yes, Hallmark itself is only one supplier in one part of that universe. Plus of course the candy; can’t forget the candy. But measured in spending dollars, Halloween today is very much a holiday for adults, not kids. Which is quite different from when you or I or most Dopers were kids in the 1950s - 1970s. And that transition was driven by Big Party inventing a market (or at least expanding an existing niche market) so they could overfill it. That was the point I was trying to make in too few words. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psa-for-mothers-day-not-every-woman-is-a-mother/1029908.md?page=3)