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Mother's Day
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Originally conceived by
Julia Ward Howe after the
American Civil War as a day
honoring (in her opinion) the
inherent pacifism of mothers,
Mother's Day now simply
celebrates
motherhood and thanking
mothers. Mothers often receive
gifts on this day.
Mother's Days are celebrated on
various days of the year in
different countries because they
have a number of different origins.
One school of thought claims this
day emerged from a custom of mother
worship in ancient
Greece. Mother worship — which
kept a festival to
Cybele, a great mother of gods,
and
Rhea, the wife of
Cronus — was held on
March 15 to
March 18 around
Asia Minor.
In most countries, Mother's Day is a
new concept copied from
western civilization. In many
African countries, Mother's Day
has its origins in copying the
British concept. In most of
East Asia, Mother's Day is a
heavily marketed and commercialised
concept copied straight from
Mother's Day in the USA.
Second Sunday in May
Julia Ward Howe wrote the
original Mother's Day Proclamation
in 1870, as a call for peace and
disarmament. An excerpt follows:
From the voice of a devastated
Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the
balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the
plough and the anvil at the summons
of war,
Let women now leave all that may be
left of home
For a great and earnest day of
counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to
bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with
each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can
live in peace...
Howe failed in her attempt to get
formal recognition of a Mother's Day
for Peace. Her idea was influenced
by
Anna Jarvis, a young
Appalachian homemaker who,
starting in 1858, had attempted to
improve sanitation through what she
called Mothers' Work Days. She
organized women throughout the Civil
War to work for better sanitary
conditions for both sides, and in
1868 she began work to reconcile
Union and Confederate neighbors.
Jarvis' daughter, also named Anna
Jarvis, would, of course, have known
of her mother's work, and the work
of Howe. Much later, when her mother
died, this second Anna Jarvis
started her own crusade to found a
memorial day for women. The first
such Mother's Day was celebrated in
Grafton, West Virginia, on
May 10,
1908, in the church where the
elder Anna Jarvis had taught Sunday
School. Grafton is the home to the
International Mother's Day Shrine.
From there, the custom caught on —
spreading eventually to 45 states.
The holiday was declared officially
by somes states beginning in 1912.
In 1914 President
Woodrow Wilson declared the
first national Mother's Day.
Mother's Day is a busy time of year
for
mail in many countries. In
1973, the
U.S. Postal Service was held up
for eight days because of the number
of letters and cards.
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday in the
United Kingdom falls on the
fourth Sunday of
Lent (typically March or early
April); it is commonly called
"Mother's Day" but has no direct
connection to the American practice.
It is believed to have originated
from the
Christian practice of visiting
ones mother church annually, this
meant that most familes would be
reunited on this day. Most
historians believe that young
apprentices and young women in
servitude were released by their
masters that weekend in order to
visit their families[1].
Date
| second Sunday in
February |
Norway |
|
Shevat 30 (usually in
February) |
Israel |
|
March 3 |
Georgia |
|
March 8 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia,
Serbia and Montenegro,
Slovenia,
Slovakia,
Macedonia,
Albania,
Bulgaria,
Romania |
| fourth Sunday in
Lent (Mothering Sunday)
(March
26 2006) |
Ireland,
United Kingdom |
|
March 21 (first day of spring) |
Bahrain,
Egypt,
Lebanon,
Syria,
Palestinian Territories,
Jordan,
Kuwait,
United Arab Emirates,
Yemen |
| first Sunday in May |
Hungary,
Lithuania,
Portugal,
South Africa,
Spain |
|
May 8 |
South Korea,
Albania (Parents'
Day) |
|
May 10 |
much of
South America,
India,
Malaysia,
Mexico,
Oman,
Pakistan,
Qatar,
Saudi Arabia |
| second Sunday in May |
Australia,
Austria,
Belgium,
Brazil,
Canada,
Chile,
China,
Colombia,
Czech Republic,
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland,
Germany,
Hong Kong,
Italy,
Japan,
Latvia,
Malta, the
Netherlands,
New Zealand,
Peru,
Philippines,
Singapore,
Slovakia,
Switzerland,
Taiwan,
Turkey,
United States
- Further
information:
Mother's Day (United
States)
|
|
May 26 |
Poland |
|
May 27 |
Bolivia |
| last Sunday in May |
France,
Sweden,Dominican
Republic,
Haiti |
|
August 12 |
Thailand (the birthday
of Queen
Sirikit Kitiyakara) |
|
August 15 (Assumption Day) |
Antwerp (Belgium),
Costa Rica |
| second or third Sunday
in October |
Argentina (Día de la
Madre) |
| last Sunday in November |
Russia |
|
December 8 |
Panama |
|
December 22 |
Indonesia |
Mothers Day Information by
Mothers Day Celebration Website
World over people take
opportunity of Mother's Day celebration to express
love and gratitude for their loving Mom. Best way to
wish Mom a Happy Mothers Day is to spend time
with her and indulge her with love and affection.
Show mom how much you care, by presenting a
thoughtful Mother's Day gift clubbed with cards and
fresh flowers.
Mother's Day History
Origin of Mother's Day goes back to
the era of ancient Greek and Romans.
 But
the roots of Mother's Day history
can also be traced in UK where a
Mothering Sunday was celebrated much
before the festival saw the light of
the day in US. However, the
celebration of the festival as it is
seen today is a recent phenomenon
and not even a hundred years old.
Thanks to the hard work of the
pioneering women of their times,
Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis that
the day came into existence. Today
the festival of Mothers day is
celebrated across 46 countries
(though on different dates) and is a
hugely popular affair. Millions of
people across the globe take the day
as an opportunity to honor their
mothers, thank them for their
efforts in giving them life, raising
them and being their constant
support and well wisher.
Earliest History of Mothers Day
The earliest history of Mothers Day
dates back to the ancient annual
spring festival the Greeks dedicated
to maternal goddesses. The Greeks
used the occasion to honor Rhea,
wife of Cronus and the mother of
many deities of Greek mythology.
Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a
spring festival, called Hilaria
dedicated to Cybele, a mother
goddess. It may be noted that
ceremonies in honour of Cybele began
some 250 years before Christ was
born. The celebration made on the
Ides of March by making offerings in
the temple of Cybele lasted for
three days and included parades,
games and masquerades. The
celebrations were notorious enough
that followers of Cybele were
banished from Rome.
Early Christians celebrated a
Mother's Day of sorts during the
festival on the fourth Sunday of
Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary,
the Mother of Christ. In England the
holiday was expanded to include all
mothers. It was then called
Mothering Sunday.
History of Mother's Day:
Mothering Sunday
The more recent history of Mothers
Day dates back to 1600s in England.
Here a
Mothering Sunday was celebrated
annually on the fourth Sunday of
Lent (the 40 day period leading up
to Easter) to honor mothers. After a
prayer service in church to honor
Virgin Mary, children brought gifts
and flowers to pay tribute to their
own mothers.
On the occasion, servants,
apprentices and other employees
staying away from their homes were
encouraged by their employers to
visit their mothers and honor them.
Traditionally children brought with
them gifts and a special fruit cake
or fruit-filled pastry called a
simnel. Yugoslavs and people in
other nations have observed similar
days.
Custom of celebrating Mothering
Sunday died out almost completely by
the 19th century. However, the day
came to be celebrated again after
World War II, when American
servicemen brought the custom and
commercial enterprises used it as an
occasion for sales.
History of Mother's Day:
Julia Ward Howe
The idea of official celebration of
Mothers day in US was first
suggested by
Julia Ward Howe in 1872. An
activist, writer and poet Julia shot
to fame with her famous Civil War
song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic".
Julia Ward Howe suggested that June
2 be annually celebrated as Mothers
Day and should be dedicated to
peace. She wrote a passionate appeal
to women and urged them to rise
against war in her famous
Mothers Day Proclamation,
written in Boston in 1870. She also
initiated a Mothers' Peace Day
observance on the second Sunday in
June in Boston and held the meeting
for a number of years. Julia
tirelessly championed the cause of
official celebration of Mothers Day
and declaration of official holiday
on the day. Her idea spread but was
later replaced by the Mothers' Day
holiday now celebrated in May.
History of Mother's Day:
Anna Jarvis
 Anna
Jarvis is recognised as the Founder
of Mothers Day in US. Though
Anna Jarvis never married and
never had kids, she is also known as
the Mother of Mothers Day, an apt
title for the lady who worked hard
to bestow honor on all mothers.
Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of
celebrating Mothers Day from her own
mother Mrs Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis
in her childhood. An activist and
social worker, Mrs Jarvis used to
express her desire that someday
someone must honor all mothers,
living and dead, and pay tribute to
the contributions made by them.
A loving daughter, Anna never forgot
her mothers word and when her mother
died in 1905, she resolved to
fulfill her mothers desire of having
a mothers day. Growing negligent
attitude of adult Americans towards
their mothers and a desire to honor
her mothers soared her ambitions.
To begin with Anna, send
Carnations in the church service
in Grafton, West Virginia to honor
her mother. Carnations were her
mothers favorite flower and Anna
felt that they symbolised a mothers
pure love. Later Anna along with her
supporters wrote letters to people
in positions of power lobbying for
the official declaration of Mothers
Day holiday. The hard work paid off.
By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated
in almost every state in the Union
and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow
Wilson signed a Joint Resolution
designating the second Sunday in May
as Mother's Day.
History of Mother's Day:
Present Day Celebrations
Today Mothers Day is celebrated in
several countries including US, UK,
India, Denmark, Finland, Italy,
Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada,
China, Japan and Belgium. People
take the day as an opportunity to
pay tribute to their mothers and
thank them for all their love and
support. The day has become hugely
popular and in several countries
phone lines witness maximum traffic.
There is also a tradition of gifting
flowers, cards and others gift to
mothers on the Mothers Day. The
festival has become commercialised
to a great extent. Florists, card
manufacturers and gift sellers see
huge business potential in the day
and make good money through a
rigorous advertising campaign.
It is unfortunate to note that Ms
Anna Jarvis, who devoted her life
for the declaration of Mothers Day
holiday was deeply hurt to note the
huge commercialisation of the day.
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Mother's Day Gifts
 Mothers
Day is a perfect occasion to pamper
your mother with loads of Mother's
Day Gifts and express your love for
her. Mothers keep giving gifts to
children at all times so it would be
a wonderful idea to say thanks to
Mothers for all she does for us with
a small little Mother's Day gift.
Your selection of Mothers Day gifts
should not be a mere formality, it
must clearly reflect your inner
feelings for her. A little thought
must be spent on what you buy as
gift for mother. While selecting a
gift pay special attention to your
mothers likes and dislikes and also
to your budget. Below are links to
popular Mothers Day gifts and Mother
Day gift ideas. Take tips from these
sites and follow your heart, you
will be presenting the most
delightful gifts on Mother's Day!!
Mother's Day Gift Ideas
It is always a tough task to decide
on the perfect gift for your perfect
mom on a Mothers Day. To offer
solution to your problem here are
some unique and special Mothers Day
Gifts ideas to suit varied tastes
and preferences of your mother.
Remember your Mother is always going
to appreciate your feelings behind
the gift you buy. So even if you are
a bit incorrect in your choice, she
will always treasure a gift from
some one whom she loves the most.
However, a little thought while
purchasing gift might make her day
more delightful. You may also order
online Mother's Day gift on various
shopping sites. This way you may go
through a range of gift items and
decide on the most suitable and
special Mother's Day present for
your loving mom.
Mother's Day Flowers
Mothers Day is a perfect time to
thank your Mother and what better
way to express your feelings than to
say it with flowers. Delight your
mother on her special day with
Mothers Day Flower Bouquet and show
her how much you love her.
Mothers Day Gift Baskets
When you wish to pamper your mothers
with loads of gifts on the special
occasion of Mothers Day, gift
baskets make an excellent gift idea.
Mother's Day Jewelry
Jewelry is the most popular and
appreciated Mother Day gift. If
after a tough brainstorming session
and a hard look at your cash
reserves, you have finally decided
to buy Jewelry for Mother's Day
Mother's Day Perfumes
Most ladies don't make a move out of
the house without wearing that
favorite perfume of theirs. If your
mother is just one of those it would
be a wonderful idea to gift her a
perfume for Mothers Day.
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Mother's Day Gift Flowers
Mothers Day is a perfect time to
thank your Mother and what better
way to express your feelings than to
say it with flowers. 
Delight your mother on her special
day with Mothers Day Flower Bouquet
and show her how much you love her.
As flowers are one of the most
popular Mother Day gift, florists
come up with a huge range of Mothers
Day Flower and Bouquet. Buy the
beautiful flowers for mothers day.
This would not just reflect your
love for your mother but it would
also show that you care for her
likes and dislikes.
In case your mother does not have
any particular favorite flower you
can of course use your own judgment
and select the most beautiful Mother
Day Bouquet for your mother. For
your convenience here is a list of
the Most Popular
Mothers Day Flower Arrangements:
- Mixed bouquets
- Carnations
- Daffodils
- Roses
- Tulips
- Freesia
- Pot chrysanthemums
- Iris
- Lily
- Foliage plants
There is always the option of
shopping Mothers Day Flowers online.
You can surf various Gift sites and
also the sites of various florist to
make the most attractive and
economical deal of Mother's Day
Flowers. Shopping Online for Mothers
Day flowers is also a nice idea for
those who cannot visit their mothers
as many online shopping sites
provide facility of Mothers Day
flowers delivery. |
Mother's Day Gift Baskets
When you wish to pamper your mothers
with loads of gifts on the special
occasion of Mothers Day, 
gift baskets make an excellent gift
idea. And today you do not need to
go shopping for all the goodies one
by one as there are several
attractive Gift Baskets for mother
available in any gift store around
you. Most of these Mothers Day Gift
Hampers and Mothers Day Gift Baskets
are specifically designed and
beautifully packaged to suit the
occasion.
Tips on Buying Mother's Day Gift
Hampers
When you go shopping for Mother's
Day Gift Hamper do not get lured
just by the fancy packaging of
baskets. It is important to keep in
mind the taste and choice of your
mother. Think on what kind of gift
hamper your mother is going to
appreciate more. It would not be a
nice idea to gift her a chocolate
Mother Day Gift Hamper when she is
not very much fond of chocolates.
Remember the gift is meant for your
mother not you.
Shopping Online for Mothers Day
Gift Hampers
Online shopping is a better idea of
buying a gift hamper for Mothers
Day. There are several delightful
offers on various shopping sites on
the net. So you can surf several
sites and decide the best one for
your mom. To give you some idea for
gift baskets on Mother's Day there
are :
- Mothers Day Gift Basket of
Flowers
- Mothers Day Gift Basket of
Perfumes
- Mothers Day Gift Basket of
Chocolates
- Mothers Day Gift Basket of
Cookies
- Mothers Day Gift Basket for
New Mothers
- Mothers Day Gift Basket of
Gourmet Food
Besides there are lot of mixed or
all-in-one kind of Mothers Day Gift
Hampers containing apparels,
flowers, chocolate or perfume. You
may select the most appropriate for
your mom on the basis of her choice
and of course your budget.
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Mother's Day Flowers: Carnations
Fragrant and beautiful, Carnation
flowers have become symbolic of
mother's love and also Mothers Day. 
Tradition of flowers on Mother's day
was initiated by Miss Anna Jarvis.
Miss Jarvis was also instrumental in
the official celebration of Mother's
Day and the declaration of national
holiday in US to mark the day.
Beginning of the Tradition
The tradition of gifting carnations
on Mothers day began on the first
official Mother's Day service on May
10, 1908. Miss
Anna Jarvis sent 500 white
carnations to the Andrews Methodist
Episcopal Church, in Grafton, West
Virginia. The flowers were meant to
be distributed amongst the mothers.
Others present in the mass were also
asked to wear flowers. White
carnations were a favourite of Miss
Anna Jarvis's mother, Mrs. Ann M.
Jarvis. Miss Anna Jarvis explained
the reason for her selection of
flower,
"The white carnation is preferred
because it may be thought to typify
some of the virtues of motherhood;
... whiteness stands for purity; its
lasting qualities, faithfulness; its
fragrance, love; its wide field of
growth, charity; its form,
beauty..."
Miss Anna Jarvis continued with the
tradition of sending carnations to
the Andrews Church. She send over
10,000 carnations in the subsequent
years as a personal gift to the
church on Mothers Day. This
gradually lead to a custom of
gifting carnations to mothers. Today
carnations are worn and gifted
worldwide on Mothers Day and have
become symbolic of purity, strength
and endurance of motherhood. As a
custom red carnations are worn to
honor living mothers and white
carnations for the deceased mothers.
Carnation: The Divine Flower
It may be known that carnation is
the common name for the cultivated
variety of the clove-pink. Botanical
name of the flower is Dianthus
caryophyllus. It is likely that the
word carnation is derived from
coronation, as the flower's dented
leaves somewhat resemble a crown.
Carnations are also considered to be
divine flowers. Carnations are
generally white, pink, red or
reddish pink in colour. Though
carnations of other colours can also
be found.
Trends
Cashing in on the growing demand for
Mother's day flowers, florists
design attractive carnation bouquets
on the specifically on the occasion
of Mother's Day. World over people
send flowers for mother on this day.
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