Mother’s Day is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States on the second Sunday in May. Mother’s Day recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well as their positive contributions to their families and society. It was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first official Mother’s Day celebrated through a service of worship at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.
One of the loveliest motherhood symbols is the mother and child Celtic knot. The intertwining knot calls to mind a mother protectively embracing her child. It’s sweet, simple, and lovely. The goddess is a symbol of feminine power and has been for generations.
It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day in the United States without the classic traditions Americans know best: large bouquets of roses and carnations, homemade cards, special outings, and accolades for moms near and far. Mother’s are celebrated and honored all over the world, NOT just in the United States. Here are some of the world’s Mothers’ Day celebrations.
In Mexico, Mothers’ day is called Monumento de Madre. The week leading up to Mother’s Day, elementary schools organize festivals with dances, plays, and songs. Moms are invited to watch and enjoy the treats. Families typically gather on the day for large meals with traditional menu items including mole, pozole, and enchiladas, while others opt to take their moms out to a local restaurant. But nothing beats the tradition of hiring mariachi bands or trios to serenade moms — sometimes early enough in the morning to wake them up!
In Peru, Mothers’ day is called Feliz Dia Mama! All mothers are honored, and those who have passed away are honored too. Families congregate at cemeteries to pay respect to deceased mothers, aunts, and grandmothers – particularly those who live in the provinces outside of the capital of Lima. Many bring food, drinks, and flowers to lay down on the graves. What might seem like a somber tradition is actually regarded as a joyful celebration among Peruvian families.
In the U.K., Mother’s Day goes by a different name: “Mothering Sunday,” which honors the connection to the church in addition to mothers. During the Middle Ages, people who had moved away would come back each year on the fourth Sunday of Lent to visit their “Mother” church — typically where they were baptized. This was an opportunity to reconnect after long periods spent apart. Today, Mothering Sunday is still celebrated on the last Sunday of Lent, the date of which varies each year.
Thailand makes Mothers’ day a National Holiday, giving everyone the day off. Originally celebrated on April 15, the holiday was moved to August 12 in 1976 to coincide with the birthday of Queen Sirikit, a member of the Thai royal family. Everything is decorated to honor both Queen Sirikit, as the Mother of Thailand, as well as all mothers throughout the country.
These are just a few of the various ways to honor all the moms around the world. The common thread, however, is love and respect for ALL mothers. No matter where you live in the world, or what your heritage, small gifts from the heart, flowers and gathering together seems to be an international gesture of love towards all mothers, everywhere.
My mother, Evelyn, passed away 18 years ago, though I really lost her about 10 years before that. She suffered with both dementia and a severe stroke at the age of 67. She lived in a nursing home for the last 10 years of her life, not really knowing who my father and I really were. She was a fantastic mother though, when she was healthy. She was always very supportive of everything I did, regardless of how strange and crazy my ideas were to others. She was always there for me, no matter what and gave me a tremendous amount of love everyday, my whole life. I will always love her, and I miss her terribly. But she is in Heaven, and has been one of God’s angles for many years.
Aside from family, some of my mother’s favorite things were butterflies and irises. So whenever I see either butterflies or irises, of all colors, I know my mom is close by, watching over me. When she passed away, my dad, some of my closest friends and I gathered at the Arboretum in Arcadia, CA, one of my mother’s favorite places, where we all said our prayers and offered our favorite memories of my mother. We all laid irises in the pond in her honor. Then we released balloons up to Heaven as a way of sending her home to be with God. Then my dad and I flew her to Texas and had a ceremony with her family, and buried her in just a few feet away from my grandparents. Again, there were lots of irises for her, and everyone laid an iris on her casket, along with our prayers and memories of her.
I never had children of the two-legged sort. All my babies have always had four legs, fur and tails. But they are my children, and I love them all dearly, including all our fur babies who are also in Heaven. I know my mom and dad are taking great care of them, and giving them lots of love.
Juneau and Dorrie
Nicodemus and Otis
Mothers are a gift. Honor them and treasure them for as long as you can. Without our mothers we wouldn’t be here or who we are today.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you beautiful mothers and ladies out there, even if you are only a mother to your fur babies.