Mother’s Day is a special day. It is a holiday dedicated to remembering the way mothers have treated their children, and allowing those mothers to bask in the intrinsic reward, that is being a mother. Mothers stand for peace, liberty, and justice. Mothers also do many other things. Mothers have done many things in their lives, and being a mother is just a part of the entire celebration!
Mother’s Day has had many noteworthy citations throughout history. The ancient Greeks would celebrate a holiday in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods, while ancient Romans celebrate a holiday in honor of Cybele, a mother goddess. Followers of Cybele were banished from Rome for their celebration of Cybele. In the British Isles and Celtic Europe, the goddess Brigid, along with her successor St. Brigid, were honored with a Mother’s Day celebration in the spring, which is connected with the first milk of the ewes!
Originally, Mother’s Day in North America was inspired by the British version of Mother’s Day, and was intended to unite women against war. In 1870, the Mother’s Day Proclamation was written and stands as an influence of the creation of Mother’s Day. The U.S. Congress passed a law that would designate the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day, requesting another proclamation. Declared as a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in May 9, 1914, American citizens showed flags in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war.
Most countries celebrate Mother’s Day in March or May. In China, the carnation is a very popular gift and helps to celebrate Mother’s Day. The carnation seemed to symbolize respect to the elderly and filial piety to parents in the 90s. In more modern times, the lilies have risen as a new symbol of respect. As we look on to the future of the festival of Mother’s Day, we can all wonder: Will the new symbol of respect, the lilies, last, and for how long, exactly, will they last for? What new flower will keep the festival of Mother’s Day sweet, and respectful?
This Mother’s Day, think about a card, a flower, a cake, even a celebration, in honor of Mother’s Day! You could take take your mother to eat, or just send her an ecard! You could also discuss Mother’s Day with a group of people that wish to improve the various festivities of Mother’s Day. There are so many pleasant ideas that will make Mother’s Day quite worthwhile and very memorable. Make this Mother’s Day a part of the yearly traditions.
Mother’s Day,
Not Celebrated by Korea or Mongolia,
North Mongolia and South Mongolia need lilacs,
Maybe Korea needs carnations!
Maybe Mongolia needs more flowers!
Sources:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_day.
2. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/mothersday/a/early.htm.
