In this post we will be looking at History of Mother’s Day, what date is Mother’s Day celebrated in Nigeria and Who started the tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day.
INTRODUCTION
Mother’s Day, also sometimes referred to as Mothering Sunday is celebrated all over the world, but at different times of the year. It began centuries ago. During that time, life was so very different than it is today. Because many families were poor and could not care for all within the poor household, younger children were sent away to live with wealthier families. There, these younger children became “domestic servants” and would be assigned to one or more household chores including washing clothes, lighting morning fires, cleaning, scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and any other chores assigned by the wealthy family members. One day a year was set aside which allowed these domestic servants to return home to visit their mother, their family members and their church. This day was called Mothering Sunday. As these children were walking home for their visits, they would stop and pick wild flowers, which would be given as gifts to their mothers. As the world continued to grow, fewer children were taken from their homes. By the early 1900’s, the day of Mothering Sunday had all but faded from observance in Europe. When we’re feeling sad and lonely, we can count on our dearest mothers for comfort. A warm hug from her can make us feel at home and one phone call from her can silence our worries away. The undeniable love we receive from our mothers makes the world sweeter and a little bit more special. And it is for this reason that we have Mother’s Day to celebrate and honor her. It’s a privilege to be able to say Happy Mother’s Day to a loved one. So, if you can and when you can, say those precious words and savor the moment. Bake a pie or a cake. Get fresh flowers and cute plants. And of course, call your mom and spend time with your family. After all, the best gift to give is time.
HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY
Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s. The origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia. Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
WHAT DATE IS MOTHER’S DAY CELEBRATED IN NIGERIA.
Mother’s Day is a very special day around the world for mothers. We all celebrate motherhood. Nigeria is no exception. After all, mothers are the reason for our existence, and they deserve all the respect, attention, and love we can give. In Nigeria, Mother’s Day is celebrated in a unique way to appreciate the contributions of mothers. In general, we cherish and care so much about our mothers that on Mother’s Day we go the extra mile to celebrate. This day is an opportunity for kids, both young and old to express their gratitude and make their mother’s feel special and also pay thanks for all her contributions in shaping their lives. During last year’s Mother’s Day, almost every Nigerian on social media posted pictures of his or her mother on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to celebrate and express the love they have for their mothers. It was somewhat like an explosion with mothers as the trending topic on the Internet in Nigeria. On this special day, Mother’s in Nigeria often wear their best clothes which is mostly traditional clothes. Nigeria is a country with diverse cultures. The three main ethnic groups in Nigeria are Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba and most cultures have their own type of traditional clothing. Nigerian mothers usually wear clothing such as Ankara, Lace, Atampa or sometimes English Wears like jeans with a shirt or gowns. Before this special day, mothers buy materials that get sewed by a tailor to celebrate the occasion. There isn’t a specific date for the holiday in Nigeria. For example, this year, the country celebrated the holiday on Sunday, 19th March 2022. The date is different due to Easter, which is different from one year to another, and it is determined by the lunar calendar.
WHO STARTED THE TRADITION OF CELEBRATING MOTHER’S DAY.
Anna Jarvis, who had no children of her own, conceived of Mother’s Day as an occasion for honoring the sacrifices individual mothers made for their children. In May 1908, she organized the first official Mother’s Day events at a church in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, as well as at a Wanamaker’s department store in Philadelphia, where she lived at the time. Jarvis then began writing letters to newspapers and politicians pushing for the adoption of Mother’s Day as an official holiday. By 1912, many other churches, towns and states were holding Mother’s Day celebrations, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association. Her hard-fought campaign paid off in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. Jarvis’ conceived of Mother’s Day as an intimate occasion—a son or daughter honoring the mother they knew and loved—and not a celebration of all mothers. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.