The History Of Mother's Day
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The
earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the
spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the
Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a
day called "Mothering Sunday". Celebrated on the 4th
Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter*),
"Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.
During
this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for
the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes,
the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On
Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were
encouraged to return home and spend the day with their
mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake,
was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
As
Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed
to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power
that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time
the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday
celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as
the church.
In the
United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by
Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn
of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would
hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever
year.
In 1907
Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to
establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her
mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate
Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death,
the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also
celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms. Jarvis
and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman,
and politicians in their quest to establish a national
Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was
celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in
1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day
as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd
Sunday of May.
While
many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day
at different times throughout the year, there are some
countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia,
and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second
Sunday of May.
So, now you know a little more about Mother's Day! |
