Mother's Day; How it Really Began

Like so many holidays we as a nation commemorate,  Mother's Day is one we keep with religious zeal but have no idea how it began.
The celebration of Mother's Day is centuries old. Though like x-mas and easter, Mom's day has been commercialised in modern times, Mother's Day is in fact, has centuries. Cultures around the world  still celebrate Mother's Day as the mother goddess as a representative of nurturing and the giver of all life.

Ancient Egyptians celebrated the mother goddess Isis, the Greeks celebrated the goddess Rhea, who was the mother of most of the Greek gods, including Zeus.
  Ancient Rome, Cybele was the major mother figure; and as early as 2250 B.C., the Romans celebrated a festival of Hilaria, which occurred in the spring and was dedicated to the mother goddess. In Taoism, the end of May is celebrated as the "mother of the world" day, recognising the goddess as the origin of all things. Incense is burned and the focus is on meditating on divine harmony.
The Middle Ages would see the white washing of the goddnes. Folks in remote villages attended the main church in their parish- known as the "mother" church, for a special service. In England, a day known as "Mothering Sunday" fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent. A day when working people were allowed to take time off to go home to visit their mothers, often bringing her little treats or flowers.
Here in North American, the very first Mother's Day was a call for peace. Julia Ward Howe wrote a proclamation in 1870 that called for mothers to stop their sons from killing the sons of other mothers. She asked for an international Mother's Day of Peace.
As I wrote in my last post, it was Anna Jarvis who we have to thank for Mother's Day.
Her mother had held, Mother's Friendship Day to bring back together families and friends who had been parted during the Civil War. Ms. Jarvis wanted to continue to the tradition her mother started.

The Torah commands us as children, whether still in nappies or changing their grandbabies' nappies, to honour our mothers and fathers. We are commanded because is, at times, not an easy think to do. But when we remember the love, the care, the nights without sleep, trying to rock us to sleep and then later, waiting for us to return home from dates.
I often say, every day is Mother's Day. A day to tell my mother I love her. To give her flowers or collard greens. To watch a movie with and share a laugh. To make sure she has the things she needs, including a visit from her grand dog.
"I gave my mother her flowers while she was alive." My mother often says.
I tradition I picked as well.

Honour Thy Mother and Thy Father

Shalom:
In many parts of the world, today is Mother's Day.
One of my early memories are of Mother's Day. I remember mummie picking red carnations to our dresses. She told us that the red meant that she, our mother, is still alive. She too wore a red carnation. But on grandmother's dress, mummie pinned a white carnation.
"Why?" I wanted to know.
"Because grandmother's mother is in heaven. White means the person's mother has gone on."
Grandmother had a mother????
Which that she had a mother....
I do not remember the Mother's Day service. My thoughts were going back. way back, trying to figure out who the very first mother was.
"Eve, Laini. Remember Sunday School."
"And G_D created Eve."
"Who created G_D?"
"That's another story, Laini."
Years, later I remember the first Mother's Day after Grandmother Callie's passing. Mummie tried to pick on a white carnation, but couldn't.
She has never another one since.
The last time I saw carnations on Mother's Day is when my mother gave me a very pretty dress and pink carnations.
Pink is for new mums.
But over the years, at least in my home, Mother's Day has become less and less important. Mainly due to mummie's views.
I remember talking to mummie this about four years ago. Mummie said she doesn't need Mother's Day. For her two daughters and two sons-in-law honour her every day. She knows she is loved and cherished by her children, grandchildren and grand dog, Monti. Mummie made it clear that she doesn't need fancy gifts or flowers, to be taken out for supper or over priced cards to know we honour her.
"Honour Thy Mother and Thy Father," is every day, not just the second Sunday of May.
Efforts to establish a national day to honour has been in the works since 1870s, but never made it thought until May 8th 1914.
Thanks to a young lady who wanted to honour the mother who had died in 1905. Ann Marie Jarivs wanted to honour her mother in a very special way. her church, Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church, held its first Mother's Day service. Ann Marie delivered white carnations, 500 hundred of them, her mother's favourite flower, to be handed out.
Jarvis wanted the white carnation to be an emblem of mother's purity, faithfulness and love. The white carnations quickly shown out and florists promoted the idea of wearing red carnation in honouring of living mothers and white in memory of mothers who are deceased.
Eventually, Ann Marie Jarvis herself ended up opposing the holiday she had help to create. She, like many (including me) refer to this day as a "Hallmark Holiday."
Ms. Jarvis regretted what has become of the holiday she created, just to honour her mother.
Today, Mark, Montaque and I went to see my mother. Mark had made collard greens the night before and so we brought a bowl to go with her supper later in the evening.
Just the very thing she wanted.