Significance
Mother's Day is a celebration
honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and
the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many
parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements
similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father's Day, Siblings
Day, and Grandparents Day.
History
The modern holiday of Mother's Day
was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother
at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make
Mother's Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year
her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who
cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. She and
another peace activist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe had been urging for the
creation of a Mother’s Day dedicated to peace.
Dates around the world
While the United States holiday
was adopted by some other countries, existing celebrations, held on different
dates, honoring motherhood have become described as "Mother's Day",
such as Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom or, in Greece. Both the secular
and religious Mother Day are present in Greece. Mothering Sunday is often
referred to as "Mother's Day" even though it is an unrelated celebration.
In some countries, the date adopted is one significant to the majority religion, such as Virgin Mary Day in Catholic countries. Other countries selected a date with historical significance.