Mother’s Day is celebrated this Sunday May 9th throughout the US. Since my mother passed a few years ago and the fact that my son lives 3,000 miles away, It has become a bittersweet holiday. I can move from joy to tears in the blink of an eye. I’m sure a lot of you can relate.
Mother Goddesses
The ancient Egyptians celebrated the Mother Goddess Isis, while the Greeks celebrated the Goddess Rhea, who was the Mother of most of the major deities including Zeus. In ancient Rome, Cybele was the major Mother figure and as early as 2250 B.C., the Romans celebrated a festival of Hilaria, which occurred in the spring and was dedicated to the Mother Goddess. In Taoism May 25th is celebrated as the mother of the world day. Since the belief is that the goddess is the mother of all; she is the origin of all things. Incense is burned and the focus is on meditating on Divine Harmony.
During the Middle Ages, people in remote villages attended the main church in their parish- the “mother” church - for a special service. In England, a day known as “Mothering Sunday” fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent and was a day when working people had a vacation and went home to visit their mothers.
Original Meaning of Mother’s Day in North America
Did you know that the first North American Mother’s Day was actually a call for peace? Julia Ward Howe wrote a proclamation in 1870 that called for mother’s to stop their sons from killing the sons of other mothers. She asked for an international Mother’s Day of Peace. Imagine if all mother’s around the world could stop their sons from killing!
Our Mother’s Day was started in 1908 by a West Virginian daughter, Anna Jarvis, to honor her own mother, who held a Mother’s Friendship Day in order to bring together families and friends that had been divided during the Civil War. Anna Jarvis gave her mother’s favorite flower to every mother who attended. Today, white carnations are used to honor deceased Mothers, while pink or red carnations pay tribute to Mothers who are still alive. Finally in 1914 Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
Mother’s Day Around the World
Many cultures use this day to enjoy traditional dishes that their mother’s taught them to cook. In Mexico a mother is serenaded by her family or a hired band and in Japan, children would enter drawings of their mothers in a contest that celebrated mothers and peace. Sweets and flowers—especially violets—are given to Mom on Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. It is customary to serve Simnel Cake, a glazed fruitcake inspired by a folk tale about a married couple, Simon and Nell. So, the story goes, this pair could not decide whether to bake or broil a cake. So, in the end they did both. Thus, Simnel Cake was born.
In addition to flowers, cards, jewelry and chocolates, it is customary for Australians to exchange perfume and teas on Mother’s Day. In Canada there seems to be an added emphasis on doing chores for the Mother and cooking her supper. Sweden’s Mother’s Day, which takes place on the last Sunday in May, has a strong charitable focus: the Swedish Red Cross sells small plastic flowers leading up to the holiday, and the proceeds raised are given to poor mothers and their children. The Native American culture celebrates Mother Earth as our mother and councils us to take care of her.
Who’s the mother?
With the changing configuration of families today, we need to also honor the stepparents, foster parents, godparents and mentors - both alive and deceased - who have played an important role in our “mothering” and of the “mothering” of our children.
This Mother’s Day be creative and make an Appreciation Box (adapted from my book The Joy of Family Rituals).
