Mother’s Day – A Day to honor Mother's

Celebrating Mother’s day can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor if the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele 

 

Rheia (Greek – means ease and flow) Ops (Roman) Queen of Heaven is the Titan Goddess of fertility, motherhood, comfort and ease. She was the sister wife of the Titan Kronos (Time) and mother of six elder Olympian Gods – Hestia, Demter, Hera, Zues, Posiden, Hades. Her symbol is the cornucopia. 

 

During the 16th century, people in the United Kingdom used to return on the 4th Sunday during  Lent for a service to their ‘mother church’ - the main church or cathedral of the area. This was either the church where you were baptized, or the local parish church or more often the nearest cathedral. This service and day was to honor Mother Mary, eventually the day evolved to celebrate all mother’s.  

 

Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this term preceded the observance of Mothering Sunday is unclear. 

 

Mothering Sunday evolved to Mothers' Day it has no connection with the American festival of that name. Traditionally, it was a day when children, mainly daughters, who had gone to work as domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother and family.

 

https://www.fromyoutome.com/blog/the-story-behind-mothering-sunday-and-mothers-day/

 

Julia Ward Howe – Abolitionist and Suffragette  - Campaigned for a mothers peace day 1870 wrote the Mothers day proclaimation – mothers coming together promoting world peace – June 2 1870 

https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/mothers-day/the-original-mother-s-day-proclamation

 

“Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, “Disarm, disarm! The sword is not the balance of justice.” Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each learning after his own time, the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace. Julia Ward Howe

 

She wrote the Battle Hymn of Republic – paid $5 

1869 – join the American women suffragette association – helped with the 15^thamendment to give the vote to Black Americans

1876 – Traveled and lectured about women’s rights, She is known as ‘The dearest old lady in America.’ 

 

Anne Reeves Jarvis - 1868 - Originated Mother’s Day Work  Club – to teach new mothers nursing and sanitation to keep their families healthy. The first traveling nurses for new mothers and families.

1868 – Jarvis organized Mothers Friendship Day  - mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. 

 

 

Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women's groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother's Day. 

 

On May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother at a church in Grafton, West Virginia. Within five years virtually every state was observing the day

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day

May 1905 – 

Letter writing campaign to recognize mother’s day 

1907 – held a church memorial dedicated to her mother’s good deeds 

1908 held a church memorial and handed out white carnations

Contacted John Wanamaker Philadelphia Philanthropist who joined a Mother’s day committee

1910  - West Virginia 1^st state to celebrate mother’s day.

1914  president Wilson signed the bill to make the 2^nd Sunday of May Mother’s Day, national holiday.

Carnation were given to mothers’ Red Carnations for living mothers and white carnations for mothers who have passed. Writing letters to mothers and spending the day in church and helping Mothers with chores.

A postage stamp created to commemorate Mother’s day in 1934

 

Anna Jarvis turned on the mother’s day celebrations when it became commercialized. Her intention for the holiday was to keep it a simple celebration honoring mothers. She fought to stop the celebration of the holiday that became one of the largest and most commercialized holidays on the planet. Going door to door to get signatures to cancel mother’s day. Anna Jarvis was placed in Marshal Square sanitarium in Philadelphia . When she died the Card and Florist people paid her bill. Died 11/24/1948

 

More than 80 nations celebrate mothers day 

 

19 nations March 21 

International Women's day – March 8 

Thai land August 12

Argentina 3^rd Sunday in October

Norway – 2^nd Sunday of February

Egypt 1^st day of Spring

 

Every month except Sept there is a day to celebrate mothers.

Happy Mother's Day!

Keep your hearts open and aligned with the energy of love!

Auriel Grace