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Mother’s Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring and celebrating mothers and motherhood. It has a long, interesting and wonderful history behind it, which I’ll share with you today.
Mother’s Days in Ancient Times
The roots of Mother’s Day can be traced back to many ancient civilizations, where maternal figures and motherhood were celebrated with rituals and festivals.
Even though there wasn’t a specific day of the year called “Mother’s Day”, the worship of female goddesses played a major role in religious and cultural practices.
These goddesses were often associated with fertility, motherhood, and nurturing. Many were mothers, wise guardians, and powerful protectors, symbolizing the ideals of maternal love and strength.
And many civilizations had goddesses for the same things but with different names.
For example, in ancient Rome, there was Venus, the goddess of love, fertility, and victory. The ancient Greeks’ goddess for the same things was called Aphrodite. And in Mesopotamia, she was known as Inanna or Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.
Families and communities often came together to honor such figures. People offered gifts of food, flowers, and prayers in order to be blessed with fertility, protection, or prosperity.
The celebrations were a wonderful time for giving thanks and strengthening social bonds with those nearby.
Mother’s Day Today
Mother’s Day, as we know it today, has its beginnings in the early 20th century with a lady named Anna Jarvis.
Anna was born in West Virginia, in the United States, in 1864. She grew up with a deep love and admiration for her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis.
Ann was known for her kindness and for helping others, especially during the American Civil War when she cared for wounded soldiers.
After Ann passed away in 1905, Anna wanted to find a special way to honor her memory. She came up with the idea of having a day dedicated to celebrating mothers and all they do for their families.
Anna worked really hard to make this idea a reality.
She spent a lot of time campaigning for such a day, writing letters to important people and speaking at events to convince people that there should be a day to honor mothers.
Finally, in 1914, Anna’s efforts paid off when Woodrow Wilson, the President of the United States, declared Mother’s Day an official holiday to be celebrated every second Sunday in May.
From then on, people all over the country began to celebrate Mother’s Day by showing their moms love and appreciation with cards, gifts, and by spending time together.
Today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Anna Jarvis — a legacy that echoes the timeless message of love, gratitude, and appreciation for mothers everywhere.
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