Does anyone know the origins of the "MOTHER'S DAY"???
By Alexander
@_anderson__ (187)
May 12, 2016 4:32pm CST
After wondering who and why Mother's Day was created I decided to take a "google". Of course, gave me the best run down on the origins and the workings of this upcoming holiday celebrated in many countries. Here's what I found:
Some historians claim that Mother's Day originates from ancient spring festivals dedicated to maternal goddesses. Greeks honored Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Ancient Romans had a spring festival dedicated to Cybele, also a mother goddess. Called Hilaria, this celebration lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades.
A more modern version of Mother's Day began in the 1600s in England. Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Small gifts were given, and a special dessert called a simnel cake was served.
In the United States, Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (famous for writing the words to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic"). But it was a woman who was never a mother herself who led the campaign for national recognition of Mother's Day.
Anna Jarvis held a ceremony in 1907 in Grafton, West Virginia, to honor her mother, who had died two years earlier.
Jarvis' mother had tried to establish Mother's Friendship Days as a way of dealing with the aftermath of the Civil War. Anna Jarvis began a campaign to create a national holiday honoring mothers.
She and her supporters wrote to ministers, businessmen and politicians, and they were successful in their efforts.
In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize the new holiday, and the nation followed in 1914 when President Wilson declared the second Sunday in May to be Mother's Day.
Jarvis used white carnations as a symbol for mothers, because carnations represented sweetness, purity and the endurance of mother love. (Today, white carnations represent a mother who has died, while red carnations represent a living mother.) Unfortunately, Jarvis became bitter over the commercialization of the holiday. She filed a lawsuit to stop a 1923 Mother's Day event and was even arrested for disturbing the peace at a mother's convention where white carnations were being sold. Jarvis never married and never had children. She died in 1948.
I think Mother's Day continues to be a very commercial holiday in the all country. Flowers, candy and cards are typical gifts, and phone traffic is especially high on the second Sunday in May.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@triplejazzm51 (1373)
• Philippines
14 May 16
Yes, Mothers Day is now commercialized, flower shops sells expensive flower bouquets, restaurants and malls offer promos, etc. But the good thing here is more families now really celebrate the special day. Some treat their mothers to a simple celebration at home, some to restaurants and those with more money treat their mothers to a trip out of town. For me, we should not only do this during mothers day only. Mothers have big responsibilities in their children and they fulfill this everyday. Though there are negligent mothers but most others are really devoted ones. Thanks to the the one who started this recognition/celebration. I am sure she didi this for the love of her mother.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (139742)
• Roseburg, Oregon
18 Aug 17
Now Mothers day is a commercial day for the retail stores to make as much money as they can.