Mothers”™ Day
Party at Ken Philipose”™s house on May 11, 2003
WOMEN comprise half of mankind. And since time began, women ”“ whether as daughter, wife, mother, or matriarch ”“ have played half the roles of humanity. They are roles that not only ensure the survival but also the continuity of the human race. Foremost of these roles is that of motherhood.
Men of all nations, in recognition of mothers’ many invaluable roles and contributions, had paid the highest respects and compliments to mothers. One of them is reproduced below:
MOTHER
By Howard Johnson
(c. 1915)
“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold,
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be.
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER”
A word that means the world to me & to all of us.
Mothers are beloved and adored in India.
Today, we celebrate Mothers’ Day. Let us honor our mothers and enshrine the sacredness of motherhood, for mothers are not only the wellspring of our nation but also the light and guide of our people.
Background notes:
History and Customs…
In the U.S. Mothers’ Day is a holiday celebrated on second Sunday in May. It is a day when children honor their mothers with cards, gifts, and flowers. First observance in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1907, it is based on suggestions by Julia Ward Howe in 1872 and Anna Jarvis in 1907.
Although it wasn’t celebrated in the U.S. until 1908, there were days honoring mothers even in the days of ancient Greece. In those days, however, it was Rhea, the Mother of the gods that was given honor.
Later, in the 1600’s, in England there was an annual observance called “Mothering Sunday.” It was celebrated during Lent, on the fourth Sunday. On Mothering Sunday, the servants, who generally lived with their employers, were encouraged to return home and honor their mothers. It was traditional for them to bring a special cake along to celebrate the occasion.
In the U.S., in 1908 Ana Jarvis, from Grafton, West Virginia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day on the anniversary of her mother’s death. A memorial service was held there on May 10, 1908 and in Philadelphia the following year where Jarvis moved.
Jarvis and others began a letter-writing campaign to ministers, businessmen, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother’s Day. They were successful. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day a national observance that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
Many other countries of the world celebrate their own Mother’s Day at different times throughout the year. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, as in the U.S.
Some Motherly Advice…
- Always change your underwear; you never know when you’ll have an accident.
- Don’t make that face or it’ll freeze in that position.
- Be careful or you’ll put your eye out.
- What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
- You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!
- Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
- If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
- Don’t put that in your mouth; you don’t know where it’s been!
Around the World
African Mother’s Day
Some tribes like the Assam in Africa don’t call themselves families. They call themselves “maharis”, or “motherhoods
Chinese Mother’s Day
Chinese family names are often formed beginning with a sign that means “mother”. It’s a way of honoring their moms long past.
Greek Mother’s Day
The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother’s Day in spring. They used to honor Rhea, “mother of the gods” with honey-cakes and fine drinks and flowers at dawn.
The Greek word “meter” and the Sanskrit word “mantra” mean both mother and measurement.
Hindu Mother’s Day
Hindu scripture credits the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs and beautiful sacred images.
Buddha honored mothers when he said, “As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man cultivate love without measure toward the whole world.”
American Indian Mother’s Day
Native American Indian women have long been honored with the name, “Life of the Nation” for their gift of motherhood to the tribes.
Egyptian Mother’s Day
Ancient Egyptians believed that “Bast” was the mother of all cats on Earth, and that cats were sacred animals.
English Mother’s Day
In the 1600’s, England celebrated a day known as Mothering Sunday, celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday honored the mothers of England.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the Mother Church – the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.
People began honoring their mothers as well as the church. During this time many of the England’s poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers
European Mother’s Day
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the “Mother Church”–the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church
French Mother’s Day
Children in France spend days drawing a card and practising a poem as a surprise for their mothers. This springtime Sunday is refered to as Fete des Meres, and it provides children and adults throughout France with the opportunity to make their mother the centre of attention, and give her gifts and treats.