Mothers are magical; they make everything alright, even when everything is not alright. She is the gift that conceives the future!
Mother is the natural, dense, and absolute concentration of pure and true love. A mother reads thoughts, has premonitions, strange dreams. She knows the face of crying, of flu, of fear, enters without knocking, calls in the middle of the night, asks for annoying favors, meddles and interferes with friends, boyfriends, choices. A mother finds a way, ties knots, scolds, gives strength. A mother cures hangovers, colic, sadness, panic, fears. She scares away monsters, nightmares, mosquitoes, dangers. A mother has intuition and is messianic: a mother saves. A mother keeps treasures, tells stories, and has memories. A mother is an archive! A mother exaggerates, exhausts, exceeds. A mother overflows, floods, transcends….
Mother’s Day (Brazilian Portuguese) or Mother’s Day (European Portuguese) is a commemorative date that annually honors the maternal family figure (mother) and motherhood. The date of celebration varies according to the country. In Portugal and the PALOP, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of May, and in Brazil, on the second Sunday of May.
The celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it became popular in the USA starting in 1914, but its celebration originated in Ancient Greece and Rome.
We find in Ancient Greece the first indications of the celebration of this date. The Greeks paid homage to the goddess Rhea, the common mother of all beings. On this day, the Greeks made offerings, giving gifts, in addition to paying homage to the goddess.
The Romans, who were also polytheists and followed a religion very similar to the Greek one, held this type of celebration. In Rome, it lasted about 3 days in the month of March. They also held festivals in honor of Cybele, the mother of the gods.
However, the celebration took on a Christian character in the early days of Christianity. It was a celebration held in honor of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
But a celebration more similar to the current one can be found in 17th century England. It was “Mothering Sunday.” During mass, children would give gifts to their mothers. Those children who worked far from home were given the day off to visit their mothers. Therefore, it was a day dedicated to visiting mothers and giving gifts, very similar to what we do today.
Over time, the celebration grew and gained prominence among commemorative dates, being celebrated in almost every part of the world. Mother’s Day in the USA emerged in the early 20th century, and its creation was a tribute to Ann Jarvis. This American was an activist who dedicated her life to charitable works, especially those carried out during one of the most turbulent periods in American history: the Civil War.
Ann Jarvis was fully dedicated to social work. She was part of a Methodist church and began working, starting in the 1850s, to raise awareness among families in the region where she lived, West Virginia, about the importance of maintaining good sanitary conditions, that is, hygiene. Her actions were linked to the Mother’s Day Work Clubs.
This was because, at the time, it was common for diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera to affect places without ideal hygiene conditions. During the American Civil War, Ann Jarvis helped by aiding soldiers fighting on both sides of the conflict. She provided food for those in need and assisted in treating diseases.
Ann Jarvis lived until 1905 and spent the last moments of her life in Philadelphia with her daughter Anna Jarvis. When she passed away on May 9, her daughter’s mourning was considerably painful. Some time later, Anna Jarvis decided to create a date to honor her mother. Thus, the idea that gave rise to Mother’s Day was born.
However, historians consider other actions in the 19th century as precursors to Mother’s Day. One example was given by Julia Ward Howe, who attempted in 1872 to create Mother’s Day for Peace, but her idea did not prosper and was forgotten. Jarvis, on the other hand, unlike Howe, succeeded in her endeavor.
Anna Jarvis’s proposal for the creation of Mother’s Day was conceived in 1907 and put into practice for the first time in 1908 as a memorial for her mother. The daughter’s efforts to create this moment of celebration for mothers spread and caught on in the USA. In 1910, the state of West Virginia officially recognized Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday of May.
Four years later, in 1914, Anna Jarvis was able to realize her dream. The United States Congress approved the creation of Mother’s Day and its implementation throughout the country. President Woodrow Wilson, in turn, approved the Congressional measure. Gradually, Mother’s Day became something very important.
Anna Jarvis was quite disappointed to see that the event had become commercialized, as her goal was to bring mothers and children together and celebrate maternal presence.
In her words: “I did not create Mother’s Day for profit,” a phrase that emphasizes her indignation at this commercial phenomenon. In many countries, the celebration is considered one of the highest profit seasons and consumer movement, after Christmas.
Anna, who had spared no effort to have this day officially recognized as a way to honor mothers, fought for its elimination following the popularization of the date and its commercial use.
How It Came to Brazil
In Brazil, the North American tradition established by Anna Jarvis was followed (the date was also chosen by her).
The date was brought to Brazil by the then Secretary-General of the institution, Frank Long. The first celebration in the country took place on May 12, 1918, in Porto Alegre. However, this celebration was officially instituted here by Getúlio Vargas in 1932.
The establishment of this date in the country was the result of efforts made by the Brazilian feminist movement. The decree that officially recognized it was number 21,366, signed on May 5, 1932.
The initiative was part of the strategy of feminists to highlight the importance of women in society, encouraged by the prospects that opened up following the achievement of the right to vote in February 1932. In 1947, Dom Jaime de Barros Câmara, Cardinal-Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, determined that this date would be part of the official calendar of the Catholic Church.
In Portugal, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May, following the Catholic Church’s tradition that in this month celebrates Saint Mary, Mother of Jesus (particularly Our Lady of Fatima), although for many years it had been celebrated on December 8, the day of Our Lady of the Conception. The Portuguese-speaking African countries also celebrate on the 1st Sunday of May.
In Brazil and the USA, Mother’s Day is the second best date for commerce, after Christmas. The National Retail Federation reported that in 2012, spending for Mother’s Day exceeded $18.6 billion ($152 per person).
Expansion of the Date Worldwide
After these events, the date spread all over the world, but gaining a commercial character. The essence of the date was being forgotten and the focus
shifted to the purchase of gifts, dictated by stores and marketing, with purely commercial objectives. This fact displeased Anna Jarvis, who was very disappointed to see that the character of solidarity and love of the date was being lost. She tried to change all of this. In 1923, she led a campaign against the commercialization of this date. Although it received much attention, the campaign achieved little change.
In other countries around the world, where Mother’s Day is also celebrated, different dates have been chosen for it. Here are some examples:
Fixed Dates:
• March 3: Georgia
• March 8: Albania, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Bhutan
• March 21: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait
• April 7: Greece
• May 10: Mexico, Guatemala, Bahrain, India, Malaysia, Qatar, and Singapore
• May 15: Paraguay
• May 26: Poland
• May 27: Bolivia and the Dominican Republic (Central America)
• June 8: Luxembourg
• August 12: Thailand
• August 15: Belgium and Costa Rica (Assumption of Mary)
• December 8: Panama (unofficial)
Variable Dates (month):
• 2nd Sunday of February: Norway
• 1st Sunday of May: Portugal, Lithuania, Hungary, Cape Verde, Spain, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe
• 2nd Sunday of May: South Africa, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia (except in the city of Cúcuta), Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Panama, Greece, Italy, Japan, Canada, Cuba, Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, USA, Venezuela, Finland, Hong Kong, and Latvia
• Last Sunday of May: Colombia (only in the city of Cúcuta), France (if it coincides with Pentecost, it is moved to the 1st Sunday of June), Sweden
• 3rd Sunday of October: Argentina and Belarus
• Beginning of October: India
Variable Dates (year):
• 1st Day of Spring: Palestine and Lebanon
• 2 weeks before Christmas: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia
Mother’s Day Around the World
We have gathered here celebrations spread across our planet, all in honor of mothers, which stand out for being different from the way we always celebrate.
• Antrosht in Ethiopia: Unlike many other countries where Mother’s Day is a one-day celebration, in Ethiopia it is celebrated in a three-day festival called Antrosht, which marks the end of the rainy season (usually in autumn) and can occur in October or November, depending on when the rain stops. Antrosht celebrations involve singing, dancing, and feasting. One of the traditions is a mother-daughter ritual, where they cover themselves with butter on their faces and chests.
The people of Ethiopia celebrate by organizing banquets with family and friends and preparing the country’s traditional dish, “hash.” The task of bringing the ingredients is divided between girls and boys, while the mothers relax and enjoy the feast. The three days also include joyful dances, songs, and large family meals, where boys are responsible for certain ingredients and girls bring others, and the mother cooks and serves as a symbol of her love for the family.
• Costa Rica: Día de La Madre is a national holiday celebrated on the same day as the Assumption of Mary, August 15. With an 80% Catholic population, it makes sense that the date has a direct relationship with a holy day. Aside from the date, the day is celebrated in the same way as other Western countries, with family events and gifts given by children.
• Mexico: The tradition is to take mothers out to eat in restaurants, and mariachi bands serenade with performances of “Las Mananitas.” Mother’s Day is by far the busiest and “most important” day for Mexican restaurants.
• India: Hindus in India celebrate the goddess Durga, or Divine Mother, during a 10-day festival called Durga Puja in October. Durga Puja celebrates the triumph of good over evil and is marked by gifts given to friends and family, as well as parties and celebrations.
• Nepal: Mother’s Day in Nepal is based on the Bikram Sambat Nepali calendar, which follows the positions of the sun, moon, and planets on this special day in April or May. Mother’s Day, known as “Aama ko Mukh Herne Din,” translates as “day to see the mother’s face” and is celebrated with a festival to honor all mothers, both living and deceased.
During this festival, living mothers receive generous gifts of food or clothing. For those who have lost their mothers, the festival is celebrated by visiting the legendary natural lake ‘Mata-Tirtha’ outside Kathmandu. Pilgrims believe they will see their mother’s face when
they look into the pond and she accepts their offerings. They believe that their visit will bring peace to their mothers’ souls.
• Bolivia: “Dia de la Madre” is the most celebrated holiday after Christmas. Mother’s Day is always on May 27, the day that commemorates the participation of Bolivian women in the battle against the Spanish army.
In the 19th century, during the country’s struggle for independence, many lives, especially men’s, were lost. A group of women refused to stand by and watch and joined the fight against the Spanish army.
As soon as they achieved independence from Spain, their contributions to the war became a legacy that is celebrated every year on May 27 as the “heroines of Coronilla” and also Mother’s Day.
• Germany: Muttertag, Mother’s Day, takes place on the 2nd Sunday of May, unless it falls on Pentecost, in which case it occurs on the first Sunday of the month. The giving of Mother’s Day cards is extremely popular. During World War II, Mother’s Day took on a political significance as the day to recognize women who raised children for the Vaterland, or rather, the Fatherland. Medals were awarded in gold, silver, or bronze, based on the number of children in the household.
• Peru: The Andean indigenous population celebrates the gifts of Mother Earth, or Pachamama, in early August. Pachamama is an ancient mythological goddess beloved by many Andean indigenous populations. Mythology cites Pachamama as the cause of earthquakes and the bearer of fertility. Her special day of worship is called Marte de Challa (or Tuesday of Challa).
• Egypt: The ancient Egyptians valued motherhood and celebrated it with an annual festival of lights (Lychnocaia) to honor the goddess Isis. She was believed to help the dead enter the afterlife and was considered the divine mother of the pharaohs, compared to Horus. Her maternal help was invoked in healing spells. According to the American University in Cairo, the modern conception of Mother’s Day reached Egypt through a journalist named Mustafa Amin, who campaigned to make it an official celebration in the country. The first official Mother’s Day was celebrated in Egypt on March 21, 1956, and the tradition has spread over time to other parts of the region.
Source: mundoeducação.com.br, todamateria.com.br, Wikipedia, suapesquisa.com & brinsurance.com