reading-Mother's Day

As tomorrow is Mother's Day in many countries around the world, this post is dedicated to the intricate history of Mother's Day in the USA and Mothering Sunday in the UK.

1. The history of Mother's Day in the USA

It is believed that the earliest celebrations of Mother's Day date back to ancient Greece and the practice of mother worshipping.

A good deal of centuries later, in 1872, the social activist Julia Ward Howe introduced Mother's Day in the USA as a day of peace commemoration after the Civil War was brought to an end.

By 1908 the function of Mother's Day changed thanks to Anna Jarvis who said that this day should be a memorial day for women from all the corners of America and such a view of the role of Mother's Day spread like a fire on to 45 countries in the world, including my home country.

2. The history of Mother's Day in the UK

In the UK Mother's Day is known under the name of Mothering Sunday as a synonym for Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. (this year it was the 18 March)

Other names given to Mothering Sunday are Simnel Sunday (because of the simnel cake; picture above), Refreshment Sunday or Rose Sunday. On this day centuries ago domestic servants were given a day off to pay a visit to their families. Today the main tradition is "church clapping" when worshippers congregate and build a ring around the church building, holding hands.

3. Contemporary Mother's Day

Alas, contemporary Mother's Day is all about spending money on lavish gifts for your mother. In other words, Mother's Day has been stripped down to yet another lucrative business in our greedy world and its true spirit is all but gone.

In my desperate quest to keep the spirit of Mother's Day alive I wish to thank my mother for her all-embracing love with this post. What's more, thank you for being my unfailingly reliable and most ardent supporter in good and bad times, and for being willing to move heaven and earth just to lend me a helping hand.

Finally mom, let me just say that you are worth your salt as a mother.

My sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_day

http://www.holidays.net/mother/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothering_Sunday