Mother's Day Origins

First of all I want to wish the mother's visiting my blog a Happy Mother's Day.  One might think Mother's Day originated here in America, but that is not the so.  I started wondering when we started celebrating our mothers, so proceeded to do some research. 

It is thought that Mother's Day was celebrated by ancient Romans some 250 years before Christ, but I'm not going to go that far back.  The fourth Sunday of lent was celebrated by early Christians in honor of the Virgin Mary, Christ's mother.  The ancients Greeks, also, celebrated mothers.

In the U.K. the celebration was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.  This tradition was started in the 1600's in England when Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the fourth day of lent, which included service in church to honor Virgin Mary.  Children brought sweets and flowers in order to express love toward their own mothers. 

Even those who worked away from their families were encouraged to visit their mothers and honor them.  By the 19th century, the custom of celebrating Mothering Sunday almost completely died out although there are certain accounts of some celebrations after World War II. 

Julia Ward Howe, an activist, writer and poet was the first to suggest the idea of official celebration of the Mother's Day.  In her famous Mothers Day Proclamation, written in Boston in 1870 she wrote a passionate appeal to women and urged them rise against war.  She suggested a day of honor for mothers in June; she also initiated a Mothers' Peace Day observance on second Sunday in June.  Her idea, backed by her relentless campaigns and calls for the official day later spread and replaced Mother's Peace Day.

Anna Jarvis is often referred to as the 'Mother of Mothers Day is considered to be the found of the celebration in the US.  The activist was inspired by her own mother, Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis, who wanted to see the existence of Mother's Day.

After much lobbying, campaigns and awareness programs, her hard work paid off.  By 1911, almost all the states in the United States celebrated Mother's day.  On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

People all around the world take the day as an opportunity to pay tribute to their mothers and than them for all their love and support.  Mother's Day is celebrated today in these countries these countries: US, India, Denmark, Finland, Italy Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada and many more. 

Source:  http://www.ibtimes.co.in/mothers-day-2014-history-and-origin-how-did-the-tradition-of-honoring-mothers-evolve-551783

Happy Mother's Day!  To my mother, I love you and still miss you. You were the best and anyone who has a great mother is lucky. Have a great week and see you next Sunday. 

Sandra K. Marshall, author

@ Eirelander Publishing
http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com

http://www.skaymarshall.com