Mother’s Day – History of Modern Mother’s Day
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Mother’s Day is ingrained in the culture of the United States. One of the few holidays that are equally celebrated inside and outside of the church is this one.
Therefore, remember to call your mother. But the origins of Mother’s Day are an interesting tale. It’s a funny time of the year because it has historical roots in the church and modern inventions in some ways.
History Of Modern Mother’s Day
After the Civil War, Anna Jarvis established the modern Mother’s Day holiday in the United States. Her mother, who treated soldiers, bandaged wounds, and fed the starving during the war, had a significant impact on Anna.
In the war, many women gave valiant but unappreciated service. Anna herself remembers her mother expressing a wish for mothers to be someday recognized for the selfless work they do.
Anna started formulating an idea for a public day of honour for mothers after her mother died in 1905. Anna’s goals were not wholly secular.
Despite her frequent moves, she was very active in church activities, particularly at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church (now known as the “Mother’s Day Shrine”).
Since white carnations were her mother’s favourite flower, Anna had the brilliant idea to distribute them at their second Mother’s Day get-together.
The grassroots mother’s day movement gained support from local leaders and quickly gained momentum. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother’s Day formally, and in 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution from Congress designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
It is easy to understand why Mother’s Day has become more popular; people adore their mothers. But during the two world wars, the significance of this holiday was never more poignant.
In addition to working tirelessly at home or abroad to support the frontline soldiers in Europe, mothers also sent their sons off to die.
Mother’s Day provided an opportunity for those soldiers who were fortunate enough to return home to rejoice in the comforts of the society they had fought to protect.
Mothering Sunday
The first mention of modern Mother’s Day can be found in medieval Europe. The fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as “Mothering Sunday,” became popular in Britain (and sporadically in other regions of Europe). Though it shares many similarities with Mother’s Day in America today, its origins are somewhat different.
During the Mother’s Day holiday, Christians used to have the chance to visit their “mother church”—the place where they were baptized, raised, and educated—every Sunday. Folklore used the phrase “someone was going a-mothering” to describe this situation.
It should come as no surprise that the holiday was filled with deep significance because it honoured the Virgin Mary, but in this instance, the emphasis was more on strengthening one’s ties to their church community. You should visit your mother’s church and express gratitude for your upbringing.
Naturally, the trip back home resulted in a small family gathering. Thus, Mother’s Day became known as a day to honour your own mother. Despite a few occasions when the church celebrated all mothers of children collectively, giving mothers small gifts in their honour became customary.
Tensions On Mother’s Day Today
Mother’s Day is now recognized worldwide. Churches will host brunches, express gratitude to the mothers of the congregation, and hold various ceremonies in honour of their female members.
Of course, many people have advised caution about emphasizing only the church women who have children while ignoring those who cannot have children or are single.
The contemporary Mother’s Day context is largely to blame for this tension.
In the past, Mother’s Day was simply a day for people to celebrate their mothers (which shouldn’t only occur once a year! ), whereas today, it is a time for businesses to thank their mothers.
The exclusion problem is a result of Mother’s Day’s public nature. No one will criticize a daughter for loving her mother or a son for giving a gift to a mom.
The issue arises when the pastor performs the celebration as a group, leading to the issue of hurting those who are not mothers themselves.
People are advising caution in light of Mother’s Day this Sunday. Some people completely avoid it. Since the public holiday has only been observed for a few generations, this is not just politically correct nonsense.
Perhaps the best course of action is to revive some of the older customs and encourage kids to go “a-mothering” more frequently.
Brunches and carnations are lovely, but it would seem that the biblical model of honouring our parents does not permit one holiday to substitute for the ongoing gratitude we should have for our mothers.
Although mothers deserve appreciation, it should come from their own children.