Although mom should be celebrated every day of the year, there is a special day dedicated just for her.
A fun fact, Mother’s Day isn’t always on the same date, but on every second Sunday in May. In 2022, you’ll be showering her with love and appreciation on Sunday, May 8th.
I bet you didn’t know that one of the earliest Mother’s Day celebrations was in Ancient Greece. They had spring celebrations in honor of Rhea, the goddess of fertility, motherhood, and generation.
The American Mother’s Day celebrations started with peacemaker Ann Jarvis during and following the civil war. Ann Jarvis made an effort to foster friendship and community between the mothers on both sides of the war. She started a committee in 1868 which established the first glimmer of today’s holiday: “Mother’s Friendship Day.”
Ann’s daughter, Anna, continued her mother’s legacy by creating the official holiday. The very first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908. After Anna Jarvis created the Mother’s Day International Association in order to streamline the intimate day of observance to the second Sunday in May, Woodrow Wilson legitimized the celebration as a nationwide holiday. However, the holiday quickly became a commercialized opportunity for producers to sell flowers, candies, and cards. Anna Reeves Jarvis felt this was detracting from the personal and intimate aspects of the holiday and defied this by starting boycotts, walkouts, and even condemned first lady Eleanor Roosevelt for using the day as a means of fundraising. According to townandcountrymag.com, Jarvis would eventually use all her money in this fight, and died at the age of 84 in a sanatorium.
Today, a Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world, but on different days.
Some countries, however, still observe ancient festivals honoring mothers. In India, for example, people celebrate Durga-puja, a festival that pays homage to the mother goddess, Durga. The festival is a ten-day event that takes place around September or October.
No matter how or when we celebrate them, our mothers are our superheros and biggest supporters and should be shown how loved and appreciated they are.
Thanks for giving me the best things in life Mom: Your love, your care, and your cooking. Happy Mother’s Day!
The most precious jewels you’ll ever have around your neck are the arms of your children.
I am so in awe of all of my friends who are moms. Happy Mother’s Day to you all!