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| Wishing you all a very happy Mothers' Day..... Respect and love you mother...... |
Mother’s Day is a day
for many people to show their appreciation towards mothers and mother figures
worldwide. It is an annual event but is held at different dates in the
calendar, depending on the country.
What do people do?
Many people remember
their mothers and mother figures on Mother’s Day. Mother figures may include
stepmothers, relatives, mothers-in-law, a guardian (eg. a foster parent), or a
family friend. There are many different ways to celebrate Mother’s Day. They include
(but are not limited to):
- Giving cards, flowers,
or cakes.
- Family gatherings or
visits.
- Family breakfasts,
brunches, lunches, and dinners either at home, at a café or at a restaurant.
- Personal phone calls,
particularly from children who live away from their mothers and/or mother
figures.
- Mother’s Day poems and
messages.
- Gifts of chocolate,
jewelry, accessories, clothing, hobby equipment or tools, handmade items, or
gift vouchers.
A day at the movies with mothers and/or mother
figures.
Mother’s Day is
celebrated in different countries, including China where carnations are popular
Mother’s Day presents. Some groups in Samoa organize elaborate song and dance
performances throughout the country. They celebrate the contributions that
mothers make to Samoan society.
Public life
Mother’s Day falls on
different days depending on the countries where it is celebrated. It is held on
the second Sunday of May in many countries, such as Australia, Canada and the
United States. It is held exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday in the
United Kingdom. Sundays are usually non-school and non-working days in these
countries.
Mother’s Day is an
annual public holiday in countries such as Costa Rica (August 15, on the same
day as Assumption Day), Georgia (March 3), Samoa (second Monday of May), and
Thailand (August 12). Restaurants and cafes may be busier than usual as some
people take their mothers out for a treat.
Background
Early Mother's Day
celebrations can be dated back to the spring celebrations to honor Rhea, the
Mother of the Gods, in ancient Greek civilization, according to some sources.
Later, Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom was traditionally a day for
people to visit the church where they were baptized, although it now also
celebrates motherhood in modern times.
The modern-day origins
of Mother's Day can be attributed to two women – Julia Ward Howe and Anna
Jarvis, who were important in establishing the tradition in the United States.
Around 1870, Julia Ward Howe called for Mother's Day to be celebrated each
year. It continued to be held in Boston for about 10 years under her
sponsorship, but died out after that. Other sources say that Juliet Calhoun
Blakely initiated Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the late 1800s. Her sons
paid tribute to her each year and urged others to honor their mothers.
In 1907, Anna Jarvis
held a private Mother's Day celebration in memory of her mother, Ann Jarvis, in
Grafton, West Virginia. In 1908, she played a key role in arranging a church
service that attracted 407 children and their mothers. A Mother’s Day
International Association was founded in 1912 to promote the holiday in other
countries. Mother’s Day has grown increasingly popular since then.
Many people believe
that Mother’s Day is now largely commercialized, with card companies, flower
shops, jewelry stores, gift shops, restaurants, hotels, and department stores
advertising promotions and special deals for this event. Anna Jarvis, in her
lifetime, unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit to stop the over-commercialization of
Mother's Day.
Symbols
There are various ways
to show an appreciation for mothers and mother figures on Mother’s Day. They
include white carnations, which Anna Jarvis asked to be the official symbol for
the day, as well as the International Mother’s Day Shrine. This shrine is dedicated
to the preservation of motherhood. The structure is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in the United States. It is located together with a
museum at Grafton, West Virginia, and aims to preserve, promote and develop the
spirit of motherhood.
