Mother’s Day – A Global Celebration

Mother’s Day, the annual celebration of mothers and their role in society, has become a global event. The first observance of this holiday occurred in 1908 in Philadelphia, but its roots lie in the traditional Christian celebration known as Mothering Sunday.

In many countries around the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated on various dates, most often on the second Sunday of May. This is the date that is commonly associated with the United States.

The date was chosen because the first spring flowers began to appear, and this symbolized new life. In the US, people wear carnations, which is a common flower that represents a mother’s love.

A number of countries have observed this day since the beginning, including Brazil, China, India, Vietnam, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay and Canada. Some of these countries have incorporated the day into their national holidays, while others have kept it as a non-religious and commercially driven holiday.

Thailand’s Queen Sirikit is the patron of the country’s Mother’s Day. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where she is regarded as semi-divine. She has a strong bond with southern Thailand, and her efforts to promote tolerance and understanding for Thai Muslims have made her a popular figure among those in the region.

In the US, the first suggestion of a national Mother’s Day was made in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe. She wished to establish a day of peace for women and children. She also hoped that the celebration would encourage American women to get involved in political issues.

However, Howe’s proposal was rejected by many of the country’s leading citizens and businesses. It was not until 1908 that Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, started a campaign for a nationwide observance of Mother’s Day.

She gathered a group of wealthy businessmen and lobbied state and federal legislators to make her vision a reality. She also used her connections in the church to gain support for her idea.

By 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized Anna Jarvis’s observance as a national holiday. Today, Mother’s Day is a major commercially driven event and is one of the largest shopping days in the U.S.

Despite its success, it has been criticized for its excessive commercialism. Founder Jarvis herself expressed regret for this aspect of the holiday and believed that she should have been more proactive in starting it.

The holiday has been widely celebrated in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, although it was not introduced until 1956. In most Arab countries, it is not celebrated on a Sunday, but instead on the first day of spring.

Mexico, on the other hand, has been a long-time advocate of the importance of preserving traditional family values. The government tried to discourage its observance, but the holiday has grown in acceptance and is now celebrated almost universally by Mexican families.

Mother’s Day is a celebration of the influence that mothers have on their families and communities, and it is a time for families to come together as a unit to appreciate their own mother’s contributions and to show their appreciation for her. In addition to gift-giving, family activities are often held on the day.