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  • Writer's pictureDiana A

Mother's Day over the ages - From Ancient Goddesses to Highly Commercialized Holiday

Each year the second Sunday of May, we celebrate motherhood and honor all MOMS.


Mother's Day is a day in which we express our love and gratitude to the one who is there for us through good days and bad, through happy moments or sad ones.


There is no love, dedication, and sacrifice bigger than moms'.


Beautiful cards, chocolates, and fresh flowers are how we express our gratitude and love for our moms.


But let's go back and trace the origin of this holiday.


Some believe that the celebration of the mother can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and The Romans.


They had their spring festival that celebrated Rhea and Cybele, the goddesses of nature and fertility who were often referred to as the "Mother of Gods" or "The Great Mother." The festivals were held every March and were celebrated at night with music and dances.


In more recent years, Mother's Day was first celebrated in England. It started as Mothering Sunday - a return to their mother's church. After people migrated too far from their birthplace and the return to the mother's church was not practical, it became more of a celebration of the mother.


Anna Maria Jarvis started the modern American Mother's Day.


But first, Anna's mother, Ann Reeves, came up with the idea for Mothers' Work Days. Her motive was to create a deeper bond between women with the idea of promoting health and sanitation during the Civil War on both sides.


After her mother died, Anna Jarvis created the official Mother's Day Holiday to honor her mother's work.




Mother's Day was first celebrated on May 10, 1908, in a small church in Crafton, West Virginia.

Soon after, the day was celebrated all over the country.


It's interesting to notice that Anna Marie Jarvis died regretting starting the celebration because of the vast commercialization of the holiday, which in her eyes ruined the purity of the idea.


Today, Mother's Day sells most flowers than any other day. Cards and chocolates are not far behind.



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