I am hoping some of you may be able to help me with something I am working on. A friend and I have volunteered to produce an on line service for our church on Mothers Day/Mothering Sunday which, fo us, is on 14th March.
We have decided to look at the history of the day and if or how it is celebrated in other parts of the world. If any of you feel like answering the following, I would appreciate it.
When do you celebrate Mother's Day - March or May?
Is it a purely secular event in your country?
Do you call the day Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday?
Are there any traditions associated with the day which you observe - either national traditions or family traditions?
I know I could just use Google, but personal stories are so much more interesting! Thank you in advance.
BTW, I also get to choose the music, so am determined to put The Wish in there somewhere!
Thank you to everyone who responded. Our service was put on the church website today and all your anecdotes were included.
Unfortunately, The Wish was ousted in favour of Let It Be!
In Slovenia, we have a hybrid system when it comes to celebrating mothers.
Mother's Day was celebrated before WW2 on March 25th as a Catholic celebration as a part of the Annunciation. During communism, all Catholic celebrations were restricted, and Women's Day on March 8th took the dominant role, whereas all socialist women got recognized, not mothers exclusively. Children were drawing cards for their moms in school and kindergarten, with notes inside that I think didn't differentiate from what kids in the West wrote.
After independence, and with democracy allowing the Christians to publically celebrate Mother's Day again, it slowly regained its importance. Today kids draw their cards on March 25th in schools, while the florists make the profit.
I no longer get any cards. If I'm lucky, I get a hug in the morning, sometimes some flowers, or a box of chocolate. With the three teenaged sons, the statistics are
so-so. One usually forgets about it, but they take turns, so it's not the same one constantly forgetting. 😊
My father-in-law still congratulates me on March 8th, first thing in the morning - old habits die slow...
I was always a bit torn between the two celebrations - as an advocate of gender equality, I aspired to achieve goals in life beyond my womb. That said, I discovered my greatest love being a Mom.
Similar to Valentine's these celebrations are becoming overly commercialized and losing meaning.
Thanks all. My friend & I did the Mothering Sunday service last year and it was the first one to fall victim to Covid closure - at least this time we know it will be on line!
We edited it to use later in the year and I managed to slip in Bob's 'Forever Young' and Josh Ritter's 'The Gospel of Mary'.
In SA I believe it is also the first or second Sunday in May. Not an official holiday though. Much as posted above, kids making breakfast in bed, flowers, small prezzies.
I just remembered a funny episode when my brother and sister were still quite small (and I wasn't born yet): They went and picked some wildflowers and came home with fireweed, which doesn't lend itself very well for putting in a vase because it will cast off its blossoms right away. Since they had picked their bouquet the day before Mother's Day, they hid the "flowers" under the bed and presented the wilted weed the next morning.
I think they got a B for effort
"The Wish" is a good idea. Stay away from John Lennon's "Mother." And Pink Floyd's.
Being relatively ancient, I can tell you that Mother's Day is one where I take a moment and think of happy memories involving my Mom. I've come to realize it's not just in honor of the living.
Mother's Day is a mostly secular holiday here, but recognized in a lot of Sunday services and the first official observance was in a church. Breakfast in bed made by the kids, cards and flowers. It's the second Sunday of May and Mother's Day brunch is a big deal. And a pain in the ass.
It is called Mother's Day in Germany and observed on the second Sunday in May. Traditionally the children are supposed to make the breakfast and serve their mother in bed which could make a terrible mess when the kids are still small. The dads are supposed to help, though. Food magazines are full of helpful hints for the kids what to make. And usually they are taught to make a card in school when they are still small.
Flowers for the mother are a must, and in our family they had to be wildflowers we had picked ourselves. When we were grown, of course, you showed up with a nice bouquet and took her to dinner somewhere. When my mother got older, she wanted home cooking and my sister and I took turns for that.
Absolute highlight, of course, was my married brother visiting on Mother's Day whenever he could. My sister and I didn't count on these occasions...
As far as I know, the day is a predominantly secular occasion, (made much of and misused by the nazis to further their ideology and giving out "mother crosses" for women with five children or more). It is mentioned in church and the mothers are mentioned specially in prayer on that day, but without any special celebration.
The Wish is a nice selection!