Every year, millions of people around the world take time to celebrate Mother’s Day. It’s a day to appreciate the mothers in our lives for the love and sacrifices they have made. People celebrate this day on different days. It’s mostly always on a Sunday, so the date doesn’t stay the same from year to year. There are a lot of interesting facts to know, including when is Mother’s Day, how did the day start, and how is it celebrated in different parts of the world.
In this article, we are going to cover:
- The history of Mother’s Day
- Celebration around the world
- When is Mother’s Day?
- Ways to celebrate the day
The History of Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day has been around for as long as we all can remember, but when did it start, and who was behind it? People from different cultures have, through the ages, found ways to celebrate and honor mothers and mother figures in various ways. The current Mother’s Day modern holiday as it stands was established in the U.S. in 1908. This happened through a long campaign led by one woman, Anna Jarvis, to have the day made into a nationally recognized holiday.
Anna Jarvis’s mother, Ann Jarvis Reeves, was a peace activist. She did many things, including taking care of soldiers who were wounded during the American Civil War and spreading awareness on public health. To do the latter, she set up Mother’s Day Work Clubs. When Ann Jarvis Reeves died in 1905, her daughter Anna wanted to honor her mother’s contribution, continue the good work she had started, and have a day set aside so that society could honor all mothers. This launched her campaign for a Mother’s Day holiday.
Anna Jarvis believed that mothers were the ones with the most contribution to someone’s life. From 1905 to 1908, she campaigned hard for her dream. She met some obstacles along the way. At one point, the U.S. Congress joked that if they approved her proposal, they might soon need also to approve a Mother-in-law’s Day as well. The rejection of her proposal didn’t hold her back. To celebrate the first Mother’s Day in 1908, Anna Jarvis held her mother’s memorial service at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. This church now has the International Mother’s Day Shrine. By 1911, and through Anna’s continued efforts, people observed the holiday in all the U.S. states. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother’s Day as a national holiday to honor mothers by signing a proclamation stating the same.
Although Anna Jarvis was pleased with the fruits of her efforts to get Mother’s Day recognized as a holiday to honor mothers, she was later concerned about what happened. She felt that many were losing the true meaning of the holiday, organized boycotts against the day, and protested its over-commercialization.
Celebration Around the World
Mother’s Day was adopted by other countries and is now observed on the same day as in the United States in over 40 countries around the world. The holiday is also observed on different days in many other countries. In many places still, there were and continue to be other local, cultural, and religious celebrations of mothers and motherhood. In the United Kingdom, motherhood is honored on a day known as Mothering Sunday. In Greece, there is both a secular and religious Mother’s Day, with the latter corresponding to an important day in Eastern Orthodox. Bolivia celebrates Mother’s Day on a fixed date, and the day is a commemoration of a battle where women fought to defend their children.
Mother’s Day celebrates all mothers, mother figures, aunts, grandmothers, and all women who play a motherly role. There are other days to celebrate women in general internationally, such as International Women’s Day.
When Is Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is designated as the second Sunday in May. Because of that, the date varies each year, but it’s easy enough to figure out when it’s going to be. This year Mother’s Day lies on Sunday, May 10, 2020. This applies to the U.S. and the other 40+ countries that have adopted this convention. In the United Kingdom, Mothering Sunday takes place in March on the fourth Sunday of Lent. There are days to celebrate mothers in almost every month of the year, as observed by different countries with different traditions.
Ways to Celebrate the Day
There isn’t one set convention on how Mother’s Day is celebrated. The important thing is to let mothers everywhere know that they are honored and appreciated. While we should celebrate and honor mothers all the time, having a day set aside makes it even more special.
Here are some examples of ways to observe Mother’s Day:
- First, saying “Happy Mother’s Day” is the traditional greeting.
- A greeting card for the day is a great token. You can also express your love and appreciation in your own words.
- Sunday lunch or brunch is another favorite.
- Giving gifts is a custom in the U.S. and many other places in the world.
Celebrations on this day differ by country, culture, religion, and family tradition. Common gifts include flowers, chocolate, spa gift baskets, other craft or hobby gift baskets, among others. You can buy anything that your mother might like, from clothing to jewelry to tickets to a concert or a game.
Quality time is one of the best gifts of all. If this is not feasible, texts and calls are a great way of showing mom that you appreciate her and are thinking of her. If the distance is an issue, you can also consider getting the gift delivered. FloraQueen allows you to deliver flowers and add-on gifts to over 100 countries around the world.
People celebrate Mother’s Day in different ways and in different ways around the world. In the U.S. and many other countries, if you are asking, “When is Mother’s Day,” you only need to remember that it’s the second Sunday of May. It’s a day to share meals, give gifts, and shower love to mothers.
