Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. It complements Father’s Day, a similar celebration honoring fathers.
Mother’s Day is an American invention. It is not directly descended from the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. Despite this, in some countries Mother’s Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.
The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in America. She then began a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Jarvis’ holiday was adopted by other countries and it is now celebrated all over the world. In this tradition, each person offers a gift, card, or remembrance toward their mothers, grandmothers, and/ or maternal figure on mother’s day.
Various observances honouring mothers existed in America during the 1870s and the 1880s, but these never had resonance beyond the local level. Jarvis never mentioned Julia Ward Howe’s attempts in the 1870s to establish a “Mother’s Day for Peace”, nor any connection to the Protestant school celebrations that included “Children’s Day” amongst others. Neither did she mention the traditional festival of Mothering Sunday, but always said that the creation was hers alone.
India and Mothers Day
The modern Mother’s Day has been assimilated into Indian culture and it is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May. In India, mothers are considered as god to their children. Indians do not celebrate the occasion as a religious one, but do their best to thank their mothers for care and love.
Traditionally, mothers are given great importance in Indian culture. The day is celebrated mostly in urban centers, by performing special acts to honour them and their contribution to the family. It is called मातृ दिनम् (matṛ dinam) (from Sanskrit). As per Hindu tradition, mothers are paid homage to on Saraswati pooja day during Devi Navratri, with “Maatri Pooja” (worship of mother).
Someone very wisely said ‘ God could not be everywhere so He created Mothers! An apt and meaningful description for a mother. Mother’s Day 2013 date is Sunday, May 12.
Celebrating Mother’s Day
Celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the second Sunday of May, but it is also celebrated widely on other days.
Send your mother something special on this special day by viewing some of our flower collection
for the occasion and you can order flowers online through our website.
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You can get further information on flowers and how to Send Flowers to India The above article has been inspired by Wikipedia information along with some additions by us.