MelissaA
Brenton
Shilpa Karhik
Behind Mother's Day
May 12th 2007 00:25
The history of Mother's Day is centuries old and goes back to the times of ancient Greeks, who held festivities to honour Rhea, the mother of the gods.
The early Christians celebrated the Mother's festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honour Mary, the mother of Christ.
Interestingly, later on a religious order stretched the holiday to include all mothers, and named it as the Mothering Sunday.
The English colonists settled in America discontinued the tradition of Mothering Sunday because of lack of time. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe organized a day for mothers dedicated to peace. It is a landmark in the history of Mother's Day.
In 1907, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia schoolteacher, began a movement to set up a national Mother's Day in honour of her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. She solicited the help of hundreds of legislators and prominent businessmen to create a special day to honour mothers. The first Mother's Day observance was a church service honouring Anna's mother. Anna handed out her mother's favourite flowers, the white carnations as they represent sweetness, purity, and patience. In 1914, the second Sunday in May was proclaimed Mother's Day.
Eventually Mother's day became very popular and gift giving activity increased. All this commercialization of the Mother's day infuriated Anna as she believed that the day's sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit.
The tradition calls for the wearing of carnations on Mother's Day—a red one if one's mother is alive, and white if she has died.
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Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
MS Paint Art
It was interesting to hear the history, judging by the number of white flowers out there there must be a lot of dead mothers.
Strange how the white has taken over.
I shall always honour Mother's day, without them none of us would be here, and, wanted or unwanted, life itself is a very precious gift, not everyone receives that privilege. Many die in utero or during or soon after birth. Many, sadly, are aborted. It makes one think.
Thanks, Melissa,
katyzzz
Comment by Jonathon
Anthroblogogy
thank you for informing me about the history of this day. also thank you for reminding me that it is on tomorrow - i might be remembered in the will now.
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
great post about Mother's Day, never knew some of the things...
Have a great Mother's Day..
Take care,
Nick