Celebrating Mothers Around the World

In many parts of the world, the second Sunday of May has long been special because of Mother’s Day. First observed in the United Sates in the early 1900s, the many traditions associated with the day stems from the efforts of Anna Maria Jarvis, who, in 1905, campaigned to have Mother’s Day recognized as a holiday in the US.

In 1911, her efforts to have a day meant to celebrate mothers bore fruit, as various states in the country began observing the holiday that year.

In 1914, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, signed a proclamation that designated the second Sunday of May as a national holiday to honor mothers, and the observance of the day has spread out to different parts of the world – the Philippines included in that list.

So, does this mean that mothers were only celebrated after Mother’s Day was established? Certainly not! Here are takes on other celebrations that’re held to honor mothers and parents other than Mother’s Day in various parts of the world.

DURGA PUJA

Also known as Sharodotsava or Durgotsava, the Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival that’s observed in the Indian subcontinent in October.

It is a five-day festival, and the event is held to mainly honor Durga, the goddess of mothers in Hinduism. The celebration is believed to date back to the sixteenth century.

Widely regarded as a religious and socio-cultural festival, family reunions are typical of Durga Puja festivals, with most families spending the time preparing food, gathering gifts and decorating their homes for the festival.

DZiEN MATKi

In Poland, Mother’s Day – or Dzien Matki – is not observed on the second Sunday of May but on May 26.

Historians say that the day was first celebrated in Krakow in 1923, but, like the American version of the holiday, it didn’t pick up until after World War II.

Akin to the Mother’s Day that’s observed on the second Sunday of May, Dzien Matki is observed in having children gift their mothers with gifts and greeting cards. A special token called “laurki” is typically made by children as gifts, and these items are basically special cards that’re decorated with flowers and written with personal notes.

FLOWERS FOR MOTHERS

In the Land of the Rising Sun, a version of Mother’s Day became popular after World War II. This particular version was originally done as a way to comfort mothers who had lost their son(s) to the war.

Typically observed in March, this Japanese version of Mother’s Day is tied with the practice of giving carnations to honor mothers, with the flower said to symbolize the sweetness and enduring virtues of motherhood.

Initially, the tradition involved having children give red carnations to mothers, while they displayed white ones to honor those who have already passed away. The tradition has changed in time, with white becoming a standard color.