Happy International Mother’s Day 2024

SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL MOTHER’S DAY

A mother holds an exceptional place in our lives and is considered to be a blessing. She is the most important person of our life and this is why a day dedicated to her is the third most famous festival in the whole world. International Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate our moms and make them feel special. It is a day to tell them how important they are and celebrate motherhood by showering them with beautiful gifts, pampering sessions, cards, sumptuous meals, jewelry, flowers, etc.

International Mother’s day is celebrated with much gusto in almost every part of the world, especially Australia, Canada, and the USA. The 2nd Sunday in the month of May (May 12, 2024) is declared as the day for celebrating International Mother’s Day. And hence it changes every year. However, in the different parts of the globe, there are other dates as well.

This day is being celebrated every year irrespective of the culture. It is a universal thing for which a special day is dedicated to paying tribute to that special woman who is the reason for your existence. While everyone is gearing up to celebrate this occasion, let’s take a look at the history and some of the important facts related to International Mother’s Day.

One of the very important rituals being followed in the States is the Carnation (Flowers). Anna Jarvis initiated the mother’s day in the States and incarnation was her favorite. Traditionally, people wear a pink carnation if the mother is alive and when the mother is deceased then the white carnation is worn. These days, many folks use bouquets and flowering pots as a gift for their mother.

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History of Mother's Day

The roots of Mother's Day go back to the UK. However, there were some pilgrims who wanted to cut the chords with British traditions while traveling to the States for the first time. They didn’t follow the same in the States. After many centuries, Mrs. Anna Jarvis brought forth the observance of Mother’s Day in the year 1908 by organizing a memorial for her deceased mother. She was a peace activist who took care of the wounded soldiers from the American civil war. This memorial event was held in Grafton, West Virginia at St Andrew’s Methodist Church and this is where the International Mother's Day Shrine is. Anna Jarvis aimed to get support for the celebration of Mother's Day in the United States after her mother died. She wanted to honor every mother in this world for her selfless services towards the society & family. The home state of Anna was West Virginia, and it declared the holiday in the year 1910 and became the first state to do so. Because of the tenacious efforts of Mrs. Jarvis, most of the states in America began to celebrate this day by 1911 and it was proclaimed as a local holiday. In 1914, Mrs. Jarvis became very successful and since then, International Mother’s Day celebration went global.

Eventually, 2nd Sunday of May was officially announced as the national holiday when the then president of the USA, Mr. Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation document in the year 1914. After this, this occasion became popular in other countries as well.

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Origin in The UK

The history of Mother's Day originated from the church, and as per many historians, this practice evolved from an old Christian practice when people visited their mothers on the fourth Sunday in Lent season. The merchants of that period saw a great commercial opportunity in the same and made it a popular festival in the whole United Kingdom in the 1950s.

Different Dates Around The World

Majority of nations celebrate International Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. However, in some countries, this day is celebrated on a different day and the traditions for the same are also different. For example, in Greece, there is a very typical orthodox Eastern way of celebration where Jesus Christ is presented to the Church. It is celebrated on 2nd February as per the Julian calendar. In some of the countries, the adopted date is important to the religion which is in the majority. Like in Catholic countries, Virgin Mary day is celebrated. Some of the countries select date as per the historical significance; for example, this day is celebrated on a fixed date in Bolivia to remember the battle in which women participated to save their children. In Ukraine, the custom is to celebrate both Mother's Day and International Women's day whereas, in a country like Russia, only international women's day is celebrated.

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The Traditions of Mother’s Day celebration

It’s a very common practice to give flowers, cards or any other gifts to mothers all over the world. Also, people like to take their mothers out for a sumptuous meal. As per one of the surveys, most of the money is spent on buying jewelry for the mothers. In the earlier years, people used to write letters and go to church but now the times have changed.