Mother’s Day is a time to cherish and acknowledge the profound impact that mothers and maternal figures have on our lives. Annually celebrated on the second Sunday of May, here’s all you need to know Mother’s Day is a global celebration that honors mothers and motherly figures, recognising the sacrifices and invaluable contributions they make to their families and society.
This day serves as a heartfelt tribute to motherhood and the remarkable influence mothers have on our lives and a time to reflect on the tireless efforts and unwavering devotion of mothers, who selflessly dedicate themselves to nurturing and supporting their loved ones.
History
Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.”
Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service.
Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children.
These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation.
Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.
Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”
Anna Jarvis Turns Mother’s Day
Into a National Holiday
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.
Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood.
By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.
While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies.
Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.
Traditions and Celebrations
While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated worldwide, traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example, Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit.
Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring motherhood.
In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores.
At times, Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.
In India, on Mother’s Day, families come together to honour the invaluable role that mothers play in their lives, celebrating the selfless love and sacrifices of mothers nationwide. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, children often present their mothers with flowers and cards as tokens of affection.
In Japan, the carnation gifted to mothers symbolises love and gratitude, while Ethiopian families gather for large celebratory feasts. Mexicans honour mothers through serenades and poetry readings, and in Nepal, a special religious festival called Mata Tirtha Aunsi is observed.
Regardless of the specific customs, the essence of Mother’s Day thus remains universal: it is a time to cherish and acknowledge the profound impact that mothers and maternal figures have on our lives.
Role mothers play in our lives
This Mother’s Day, the biggest tribute one can pay to their mother is to convey the heartiest thanks for everything they have done and have been doing for us.
Raising her kid
The first and foremost role a mother plays in this world is taking the responsibility of bearing her child. This is honestly an obligation that can never be repaid to her. It is said that it is easy to bear a child but it is extremely difficult to raise them well. But haven’t our mothers performed these tasks beautifully? It is certainly impossible to thank her enough.
Her love and care is completely irreplaceable
Nobody on this planet can match up to the love and care that a mother showers upon you. From being teary-eyed when we get hurt in childhood to waiting for us to eat food before her, a mother offers unconditional love and support. Be it any age and phase of your life, we all need mom’s words to overcome a bad situation.
Proper environment for the right development
There is no denying that a mother is responsible for what kind of environment her child is growing up in, since the very beginning. This has a direct or indirect impact on the kid’s mental health development. It is the mother, who needs to make sure that her child is getting an appropriate space for creativity, and studies.
Behavioural development
A mother has to make sure that her kid is getting the proper opportunity to explore his likeness and interests. It is only the mother who is very well versed with her child’s behaviour. She has to be all ears whenever her kid is speaking his heart out.
Imparting routine and discipline
Since day one of your school life, it is your mother who has told you to go to bed when it is bedtime. She has woken you up for school. These are very simple ways how a mother makes your routine. Once you are back from school, she tells you to sit for your homework before going out to play. These may seem like small things but they end up playing a big role instilling discipline.
Famous mothers in history
Many famous women throughout history have been mothers, but motherhood isn’t often a key reason for their fame. This article will look at some women for whom it is. Some are admired for their love and devotion, while others are noted for their fierce determination to protect their lineage. All have left their mark on history.
The Virgin Mary
According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary is Christianity’s ideal mother. She is not only the mother of God but also the mother of all of humanity, for she participated in the redemption of humankind. Her unique fate is intertwined with fascinating historical glimpses into her era. She offers a feminine perspective on all major events throughout Jesus’s life.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy was the matriarch of a large Irish-Catholic family, and she raised her children for greatness. Her father was a politician, and her husband was an ambassador for several years. She is the only woman in history to have had three sons serve in the U.S. Senate. (And one of them, John F. Kennedy, became president.) Their success, however, had terrible consequences—two of the three were assassinated. Rose Kennedy died in 1995 at the age of 104, having lost four of her nine children to violent circumstances.
Adriana Iliescu
In 2005, a 66-year-old single woman in Romania caught the world’s attention. That was the year Adriana Iliescu gave birth to a daughter conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), thus becoming the world’s oldest woman to give birth. While this record has since been surpassed, Iliescu’s story sparked the ongoing medical and ethical debate surrounding age and motherhood.
Catherine de’ Medici
Queen consort to King Henry II of France, Catherine de’ Medici made her mark on history as the mother of three successive kings and two queens. During her husband’s reign, she remained relatively unknown, but she gained significant political clout after his death in 1559. As queen mother, she assumed the regency several times and wielded considerable influence for nearly 20 years, playing a major role in shaping 16th-century Europe.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
In addition to being an accomplished pilot and writer, Anne Morrow Lindbergh was widely known for being married to the pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh. The couple’s lives were upended in 1932 when their infant son was kidnapped, creating a media sensation. Anne subsequently became known as the mother of “the Lindbergh baby.” In the wake of their son’s tragic death the Lindberghs lived in Europe for several years and welcomed five more children. Anne returned to her love of flying and writing, publishing novels, essays, poetry, nonfiction, letters, and diaries.
Margaret Beaufort
Margaret Beaufort was born into English royalty. She gave birth to her only child, Henry Tudor, when she was just 13 years old and endeavoured to make him a king. Amidst great political upheaval, Beaufort succeeded in making the alliances needed to achieve her goal. On October 30, 1485, her son was crowned Henry VII. She became a central figure in the monarchy. In addition to advising her son during his reign, she tutored the grandson who would later be crowned Henry VIII up to the moment of his coronation.
Jacinda Ardern
Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, is the second woman in modern history to give birth while in office, after Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto. While political unrest compelled Bhutto to conceal her pregnancy, Ardern announced she was pregnant months in advance and took six weeks of maternity leave after her daughter was born. For working moms around the world, she became an inspiration. In 2018, she took baby Neve, then three months old, to a United Nations summit in New York, marking another historic first.
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker, the feted Missouri-born French singer and dancer, had a strong maternal instinct. After undergoing an emergency hysterectomy in the 1940s, she went on to adopt 12 children from all over the world, raising them in the spirit of brotherhood and universalism. Baker’s “Rainbow Tribe,” as she called her large family, reflected her stance as an anti-racist activist. She wanted to show people that “adopting children of every colour […] is in fact possible; that children from different races, raised together as siblings, have no animosity; that racial hate is not natural. It’s an invention by mankind.”
Lady Diana Spencer
One of the things that endeared the young Princess of Wales to the public in the 1980s and 1990s was her close relationship with her sons, William and Harry. Lady Diana Spencer broke with royal parenting tradition on many occasions, including by being the first mother in the royal family to breastfeed her children. She rearranged her schedule to spend as much time with her boys as possible, and she wasn’t afraid to be affectionate with them in public. She also fought to protect her children from the media. After her death in 1997, the British press noted that she had injected candor and emotion into civic life.
Agrippina the Younger
Born into a powerful family, Agrippina the Younger is perhaps best known for being the mother of the emperor Nero, a direct descendant of the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Thanks to her scheming, which included at least one assassination, Nero ascended to the throne in the year 54. Although Agrippina exerted considerable influence at the beginning of her son’s reign, he later viewed her as a threat and had her killed. In a clearly dramatized version of events, she is alleged to have told her killers to stab her in the womb that bore her murderer.
Estela Barnes de Carlotto
Estela Barnes de Carlotto is president of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. Every Thursday since 1977, the women of this organization have held demonstrations in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo square to protest the kidnapping of their children and grandchildren under Argentina’s military dictatorship (1976–1983). De Carlotto lost her daughter, who was pregnant at the time, and her son-in-law to the brutal regime in 1978. In 2014, she was reunited with her grandson (photo), who had grown up knowing nothing of his origins.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie is a very good example of best moms around the world. She is remembered as the pioneer in researching radioactivity. Even after losing her husband, she worked stoically and set a world of her own with her daughter and work. She is the only Nobel Prize winner of her Nobel Prize winner daughter РIr̬ne Joliot-Curie.
Angelina Jolie
She is a blend of motherhood, talent and immense possession. Jolie is a woman who values her relationship and believes her children are the best thing ever happened to her. Angelina being a mother of two adopted kids; Maddox and Zahara and her own daughter Shiloh Nouvel (with partner Brad Pitt) feels life should be led by making own ways. She loves different elements of life and knows how to manage both work and family. Recently, the couple has adopted a Vietnamese kid named Pax Thien and increased their family size.
Madonna
Another famous mom we come across is Madonna. She is not only an icon but also a loving mother. Madonna always created special principles for her and her daughters. She is a singer, author, actor and a perfect mother. Madonna has disclosed her identity as a strict mother for her sweet daughter. She thinks certain rules are implied on kids for their secure and good future.
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner has emerged as a star with being a mom. Married to Ben Affleck for a over a year and mother to one-year-old Violet, Jennifer has made having a family above having her name in the tabloids. Jennifer strictly believes in keeping her mom priorities above than anything. The couple has kept their sweet little daughter away from media speculation. Jennifer wants to be a truly devoted mother with a refreshing change in her life.
Sushmita Sen
She is the embodiment of grace, intelligence, and beauty! When Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe in 1994, the world was introduced to her. Her commitment and persistence made her one of the world’s most attractive ladies, and the rest, as they say, is history! Sushmita has been in the headlines for various reasons, including her personal life and actions. She became a mother at the age of 24 when she adopted a girl and named her Renee. While many ridiculed her and said harsh things, nothing stopped Sushmita from becoming a single mother at the age of 24, and she adopted another girl, Alisah, after a few years. If you look at the actress’s social media accounts, you will notice her life revolves around her girls.
Tarabai: The Guiding Force Of Maratha
The 4th Chhatrapati of the Maratha Clan was an infant when the kingdom was handed over to him after the death of Rajaram. Taking the responsibility to protect the Maratha Empire from the Mughals, the mother of Shivaji II decided to become regent of him. And with her great administrative skills, strategic decisions, great fighting skills, and courage Tarabi saved the empire many times. One of the prominent battles she fought was against the Aurangzeb. She was held captive by the Mughal troops but she fled bribing one of their soldiers. Without her, the Mughals would have destroyed the Maratha country. Praising her one of the prominent historians said, “Tarabai was the guiding force for the nation till 1707 and it was she who protected the country from crisis.”
Putlibai: The Spiritual Teacher Of Gandhi
“The Outstanding Impression That My Mother Has Left On My Memory Is Saintliness”
-Mahatma Gandhi
These words from the autobiography of Gandhi reflect how great and inspiring she was. She was religious, spiritual, and a figure of compassion. It was she who instilled the practice of fast in him which later played a crucial role in the struggle for independence.
Besides this, she also taught him that sacrificing one’s life for another is the greatest form of love. Putlibai also had a strong understanding of all things political. These traits of her mother inspired Gandhi very much and sowed the seed of gentleness and greatness.
Jijabai: The Instrumental Figure in Shivaji’s Life
One of the inspiring Indian mothers of history is the backbone of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Maratha King was the reflection of Jijabai Shahaji Bhosale. She was his great advisor and encouraged him to take some of the greatest decisions during his reign.
Popularly known as Rajmata Jijabai, this fierce and powerful Indian mother was also a figure with a great personality trait. Nobody could stand against her on the battlefield as she could defeat even the skilled fighters with her sword.
With the help of her, Shivaji established Hindavi Swaraj and succeed in uniting the entire Maratha clan.
Rani Lakshmibai: The Fierce Protector
When it comes to highlighting the story of bravery and motherhood, the name of Rani Lakshmibai has to be at the top. She showed how precious a child is for a mother and how important a country is for a patriot.
Though Damodar was her adopted child, Lakshmibai loved and protected him till her last breath. Indeed, she was the rarest of rare women in the history of India.
The list is just beyond these famous inspiring Indian mothers. Many famous personalities like Abraham Lincoln considered their mother to be the life-changing persons of their life. And to express their greatness, we have another list of all those famous mothers around the world.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana is not popular for her elegancy and charm but was also a wonderful mother. She never let royalty steal the normalcy from her kid’s life.