Did You Know?
That many ancient cultures celebrated mothers including
theancient Egyptians who celebrated
the goddess Isis, the Mother of the Pharaohs
with an annual festival?
That ancient Greeks celebrated a holiday in honor
of Rhea, the mother of the gods ?
That ancient Romans celebrated a holiday in
honor of Cybele, a mother goddess?
That the celebrations were notorious enough that followers
of Cybele were banished from Rome
That in the British Isles and Celtic Europe, the goddess Brigid,
and later her successor St. Brigid, were honored with a spring Mother’s
Day, connected with the first milk of the ewes?
That In the 17th century, due to a clerical decree,
the British Isles initiated a religious celebration
of motherhood, called Mothering Sunday, held on the fourth Sunday during lent?
That the reason for the holiday was to serve as a reunification of the children of
mothers who were servants and trade workers who on Mothering Day, were allowed to
travel back to their home towns to visit with their families. This day also became a reprieve
from the fasting of lent, providing a time to enjoy a family feast with mom being the guest
of honor and Moms received gifts, such as cakes and flowers and a visit from their children?
That long before the “Hallmark” version of Mother’s day, Anna Reeves Jarvis was the 1st woman to
hold a celebration of Mothers day by declaring Mother’s day in 1858, in West Virginia?
That in 1914 the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution, signed by President Wilson,
that established a national Mother’s day?
That Since that time, Mother’s day has been celebrated by Americans on the 2nd Sunday
in May?
That the greatest advocate of motherhood, Anna Jarvis never had children of her own? Ms Jarvis
was dismayed over the commercialization of Mother’s day, “I wanted it to be a day of
sentiment, not profit,” she is quoted as saying.
