Where would our world be without mothers who form the backbone of human society? Without them, none of us would exist, but the role of a mother reaches far beyond simply creating more humans for the world: mothers infuse care, resilience, and life into both the people they raise and the world as a whole. In an ideal world, every day would be set up to celebrate the world’s mothers, but the yearly observation of Mother’s Day serves as a small taste of that necessary celebration – setting aside a day for mothers to be honored by everyone whose lives they have helped shape. This year, that day is on Sunday, May 12.
The first instances of a mother’s day-esque celebration can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks, who honored Rhea, mother of the gods, during their Spring festival. But, since the 16th century, Christianity has provided a more direct predecessor to the holiday through the celebration of “Mothering Sunday,” which was a period of Lent when people returned to their mother church” for a special service, often bringing flowers with them as gifts for their mothers. Today, flowers are the most common Mother’s Day gift, a tradition that was undoubtedly carried on from this centuries-old celebration.
In 1907, Anna Jarvis of West Virginia hosted a small memorial service for her recently deceased mother on May 12. The idea quickly caught on, and in 1914, Mother’s Day was made an official holiday, taking place on the second Sunday of each May.
Though the holiday has humble beginnings, over the years, it has been transformed into a largely commercialized day which, while aiming to celebrate mothers and the work that they do for society, also aims to sell greeting cards, flowers, and curated gifts. That said, the sentiment stands: mothers deserve to be celebrated, and by having a designated day in the year to do so, we ensure that they do not fly under the radar.
Be sure to celebrate the mother figures in your world this May 12! Make a phone call, deliver a gift, or spend the day with those who deserve the most recognition and often don’t receive it. A majority of people would be nowhere without those who raised them, so Mother’s Day is an excellent opportunity for everybody to demonstrate their appreciation for the mothers and the mother figures in their lives.
By Gigi Appelbaum-Schwartz