It a day in honour of mothers that is celebrated in
countries throughout the world. In its modern form the day originated in the
United States, where it is observed on the second Sunday in May. Many other
countries also celebrate the holiday on this date, while some mark the
observance at other times of the year. During the Middle Ages the custom
developed of allowing those who had moved away to visit their home parishes and
their mothers on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. This became
Mothering Sunday in Britain, where it continued into modern times, although it
has largely been replaced by Mother's Day.Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women's groups to promote friendship and health, originatedMother's Day; on May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia. Within five years virtually every state was observing the day, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. Although Jarvis had promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a tribute to one's mother, the custom developed of wearing a red or pink carnation to represent a living mother or a white carnation for a mother who was deceased. Over time the day was expanded to include others, such as grandmothers and aunts, who played mothering roles. What had originally been primarily a day of honour became associated with the sending of cards and thegiving of gifts, however, and, in protest against its commercialization, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday she had brought into being.
Festivals honouring mothers and mother goddesses date to ancient times. The Phrygians held a festival for Cybele, the Great Mother of the Gods, as did the Greeks for the goddess Rhea. Likewise, the Romans adapted the practice to their own pantheon. Some countries have continued to observe ancient festivals; for example, Durga-puja, honouring the goddess Durga, remains an important festival in India. (Encyclopedia of Britannica)
