Mother's Day Traditions

Mother’s Day Traditions

The majority of countries that celebrate Mother’s Day do so on the second Sunday of May. On this day, it is common for mothers to be lavished with presents and special attention from their families, friends and loved ones. But it hasn’t always been this way.

Only recently dubbed “Mother's Day,” the highly traditional practice of honoring of motherhood is steeped in ancient traditions and had strong symbolic/spiritual meanings with societies tending to celebrate goddesses and symbols rather than actual mothers. In fact, the Mother’s Day as we know it today, is a relatively new phenomenon. Only in the past few centuries did the celebrations of motherhood develop a human focus.

Goddess Isis - Early Egyptian Roots
One of the earliest historical records of a society celebrating a mother idol can be found among the ancient Egyptians, who held an annual festival to honor the goddess Isis, who was commonly regarded as the Mother of the pharaohs.

Cybele - Ancient Roman Celebration
The festival of Isis was also celebrated by the Romans who used the event to commemorate an important battle and mark the beginning of Winter. Despite being an imported goddess, Isis held a place at the Roman temple, and her festival (which lasted for three days) was attended by mostly-female dancers, musicians and singers.

European Celebration - Celebrating Lent and Mother Church
A later incarnation of a holiday to honor motherhood came from Europe. It fell on the fourth Sunday Lent (the 40 days of fasting preceding Easter Sunday). Early Christians initially used the day to honor the church in which they were baptised, which they knew as their “Mother Church.” This place of worship would be decorated with jewels, flowers and other offerings.

Mothering Day in Europe - Family Gatherings With Mom
In the 1600's a clerical jurisdiction decision was made in England and broadened the celebration to include real mothers, earning the name Mothering Day. Mothering Day became an especially compassionate holiday amongst the working classes of England. During this Lenten Sunday, servants and trade workers were allowed to travel back to their home towns to visit their families. Mothering Day also provided a one-day reprieve from the fasting and penance of Lent so that families across England could enjoy a sumptuous family feast, of which mother was the guest of honor. Mothers were presented with cakes and flowers, as well as a visit from their beloved and distant children.

History of American Celebration
When the first English settlers came to America, they discontinued the tradition of Mothering Day. While the British celebration would live on, the American Mother’s Day was then invented, with an entirely new history, albeit centuries later. One explanation for the settlers’ discontinuation of Mothering Day was that they just didn’t have time; they lived under harsh conditions and were forced to work long hours in order to survive. Another possibility, however, is that Mothering Day conflicted with their extremely strict religious morals. Fleeing England to practice a more conservative Christianity without being persecuted, the pilgrims ignored the less sacred holidays, focusing instead on a no-frills devotion to God. For example, even holidays such as Christmas and Easter were much more somber occasions for the pilgrims, usually taking place in a Church that was stripped of all extraneous ornamentation.

Modern Celebration
When the United States congress approved Mother’s Day in 1914, they designated it for the second Sunday in May, and required that the President proclaim the Holiday every year shortly prior to its commencement. Typically a family in the United States will devote Mother’s Day to activities in honor of Mom (e.g. playing games, dining out or taking the weekend off. Flowers are a popular gift, dating back to the original celebration where Anna Jarvis handed out carnations to the church-goers. It is also common to give mother’s cards, chocolate and candies on her special day.

Mother's Day vs Mothering Day
The United States’ version of Mother’s Day has been exported to many other nations throughout the world. In certain countries there has been little significant cultural modification. In other countries, especially those whose tradition stems from the English Mothering Day (which is now also called Mother’s Day), the traditions are quite different from those of the United States.

While the United States’ version of Mother’s Day (the version most commonly celebrated worldwide) has been extensively commercialised, it is interesting to note that many countries, regardless of this Western trend, continue to attach a much more symbolic and/or religious importance to their Mother’s Day celebrations.

In Spain, Mother’s Day is tied to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. The Virgin Mary is celebrated next to the mothers of the nation. In Ethiopia the holiday is tied to seasons and agriculture, and in Yugoslavia it leads up to Christmas, commemorating the Motherhood of Christ.

Mother’s Day quotes

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.

There is no velvet so soft as a mother’s lap, no rose as lovely as her smile, no path so flowery as that imprinted with her footsteps – Archibald Thompson

Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible – Marion C Garretty
Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother – Lin Yutang

M-O-T-H-E-R
“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold;
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be.
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER”,
A word that means the world to me - Howard Johnson