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What do roses, chocolates, and birthstone rings have in common? Well, these are all items people give to their mothers on Mother’s Day. Indeed, this day is a special one for those special women who give birth to and raise the people who make societies around the world stronger. In fact, mothers maybe even more special than teachers are since they are our first teachers. They are the ones who teach us about love, compassion, and moral values (among other things). Given this reality, it’s no wonder that societies around the world have designated a special day for mothers. It’s called Mother’s Day and this article explains this special day in more detail!
What is so special Mother’s Day?
Many people have historically asked this question, “What is so special about Mother’s Day?”
The answer to this question is explained below. Mother’s Day has been celebrated on May 10 of every year since 1908. That was the year when a woman named Anna Jarvis officially held a memorial. The memorial was to commemorate the actions of her mother Ann Jarvis. Ann Jarvis was special to her daughter because she (Ann) had played an important role in helping to heal the soldiers who got severely hurt during the American Civil War. In fact, Ann Jarvis was also a noted peace activist.
This was the first ‘official’ Mother’s Day. It was observed at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. This church houses an International Mother’s Day Shrine as a symbolic gesture to remember what is now considered to be one of the world’s most important holidays. This day became a routine and traditional day to celebrate mothers in global culture in 1905. This was the year that Anna Jarvis’s mother died. It definitely became an official cultural day of recognition in America from that point on.
Also Read: Teacher’s day
Jarvis was persistent in her efforts to garner public support and funding to make Mother’s Day a national (at the time) day of significance. It worked, most Americans were officially recognizing this day by 1911. West Virginia had designated that day to be an official state holiday in the previous year. It officially became a national holiday in 1914. This was the year that the (then) President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation that made the day an official, national holiday. Most other nations in the world soon followed suit.
How has Mother’s Day been historically celebrated
Though Anna Jarvis was the first person to make Mother’s Day a culturally significant day worldwide, she was not the first person to come up with this concept. Mother’s Day has been informally celebrated since Ancient Greek times. Back then the Ancient Greeks (and Romans) observed a similar day to worship their two Mom Goddesses: Rhea and Cybele. This tradition continued in the European Middle Ages, but it got a significant makeover. European Christians designated a Sunday, known as the “Mothering Sunday” to celebrate mothers.
Mothering Sunday was (back then) observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent. People in the British Isles and various other nations and kingdoms would return to the church located near where they lived to worship. This church was officially referred to as the “Mother Church!” This day became much more secular (and commercialized) in nature after Jarvis’s efforts to make it an American national holiday. Instead of worshiping female pagan gods or the Virgin Mary, people began to shower their mothers with various gifts that included (but were not exclusive to) flowers and chocolates.
Mother’s Day got a real boost in the 1930s and 1940s in America when it became formally celebrated throughout America. It, therefore, became deeply entrenched in modern American culture. It should be noted that Mother’s Day was observed by Americans because of Jarvis’s other efforts to entrench a day that appreciated mothers in American culture. She set up “Mother’s Day Work Clubs.” The main objective of these clubs was to teach women how to properly raise their kids and instill good Christian values in them.
How Mother’s Day is currently celebrated
Most of the Western world currently celebrates Mother’s Day on May 10. However, many other nations, especially those in Africa and South America, wait until the fall to celebrate this special day. For example, people give their moms chocolates, flowers, jewelry, and other tokens of appreciation in most of the world, and definitely in all of the Western worlds on the second Sunday in May. However, the Argentinians do it differently. They celebrate this iconic day on January 1. It’s on this day that they make special dinners and give special cards and letters to tell their mothers that they are special and loved women.
Mother’s Day makes mothers feel special
Mothers are special because they create a society by raising the children who will grow up to be the adults that will make society function. Mother’s Day recognizes this special trait and action of mothers.
