"To the world you might just be one person, but to the one person you might just be the world"...

Mothers have been recognized in special ways for thousands of years. It's celebrated in over 40 countries around the world. An exact date and the reason it is celebrated, however, varies from one country to another since Ancient Greece. Here are some examples of today's Mother's Day celebrations done worldwide.

In the United Kingdom...

In England it is more popularly know as Mothering Sunday, the origins of the holiday date back to centuries when it was considered important for churchgoers to visit their home or "mother" church once a year. During Lent, the practice became quite popular, and in a society where children were often sent off to work in other villages at a very young age, it quickly became a time for family reunions and celebrations that were cherished. A special cake was usually provided for a festive touch to the celebration. Later, Mothering Sunday became a day when children and domestic servants were allowed a day off to see their families. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Mothering Sunday remains a time to pay mothers homage for all their love and encouragement with flowers, candies, cards, and other tokens of appreciation.

In America...

AMERICA'S FIRST MOTHER

It's said that Mother's Day was first suggested in the United States by Julia Ward Howe* in 1872 as a day dedicated to peace after the Franco Prussian War. The holiday gained its popularity mostly due to the efforts of Anna M. Jarvis. With the help of friends Anna began a letter-writing campaign to gather support for a national Mother's Day holiday when her mother passed away in 1905. She reached out to influential leaders, including William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Wannamaker...sending out solicitations for support of the idea. She believed mothers deserved their own special day and that it would help strengthen a families bonds. She persuaded her mother's church in West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the 2nd anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state, and flowers quickly became a lasting tradition to express love on that occasion. In 1914, Congress passed a resolution designating the 2nd Sunday in May as Mother's Day..."a public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of our country." President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making it an official U.S. holiday.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on the 2nd Sunday in May include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan and Turkey.

In India...

Like the West, Indians also take Mother's Day as a time to reflect on the importance of their mothers in their lives. This day is the time to say a big thank you to Mother. The Hindu people celebrate for ten days in October in a festival they call Durga Puja. Durga is the name of a goddess who protects the people from evil and is also known as The Universal Mother. People send cards to their mothers, invitations for a meal so that she can have a days rest from the kitchen. They also enjoy giving out "goodies"...many tasty treats to be shared by all.

In Spain...

The holiday in Spain is more centered around religion, people respect and remember the Virgin Mary on December 8. Children also honor their own mothers on this day too.

In New Zealand...

This day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in the month of May just as in America. And since the idea of celebrating Mother's Day has come from the United States, the manner of their celebration is much the same. On Mother's Day people of New Zealand thank their mothers and recognize their efforts in bringing them up and caring for them. There is much excitement over the day and people celebrate it by going out for picnics and dinners. It is a very busy shopping time for Vendors...because the people make a point of buying gifts much like we do in America.

In Yugoslavia...

Their Mother's Day is observed two weeks before Christmas. The children sneak into their mother's bedroom and tie her up in bed. When she awakes she promises to give the children gifts that she has hidden in order to be untied.

In South Africa...

It is celebrated on the 1st Sunday of May. They celebrate their Mother's Day in its spirit by acknowledging the importance of mothers in their lives and thanking them profusely for all their love and care. Mothers receive flowers and cards as an expression of their heartfelt feelings of gratitude and affection.

In Japan...

Young children draw pictures called "My Mother" and enter them into an exhibit. This exhibit then travels to many different countries around the world.

In Canada...

Mother's Day is the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. It too is celebrated like America on the 2nd Sunday of the month of May. People pay tribute to their mothers on this day and thank them for their constant support and love. Cards and flowers are the most commonly used methods of expressing love for moms.

In Sweden...

They sell little plastic flowers before Mother's Day. They then use the money they they make from these flowers to send the mothers with many children on a vacation. They celebrate Mother's Day the last Sunday in May.

In Mexico...

Mother's Day, or Dia de las Madres, is May 10th in Mexico. It's a very popular occasion celebrated throughout the country, with special events sponsored by schools, churches, cities, and civic groups. The family tradition is for sons and daughters to come to their mother's house on the eve of Mother's Day. Festive Mother's Day masses, handmade gifts, flowers, cards, and children's school presentations are also often part of the nationwide observance.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on May 10th include: Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.

In Ireland...

Ireland's Mother's Day is celebrated on the 4th Sunday in the Christian fasting month of Lent. This corresponds to the day on which Mothering Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom...of course very close to Ireland. And just as in may other countries, people in Ireland honor their mothers on this occasion for all their love and affection.

Other Nations:

Similar holidays are common throughout the world, including Argentina (2nd Sunday in October), France (last Sunday in May), Lebanon (1st day of Spring), Norway (2nd Sunday in February), and Serbia (2 weeks before Christmas). The festival of Mother's Day is based on the emotions shared between mother and a child.

* And as far as Julia Ward Howe...being considered as an advocate for a national observation of Mother's Day is clearly denied by her own writing. In her "Reminiscences"...Howe states that she was in great opposition to Louis Napoleon from the period of the infamous act of treachery and violence, which made him Emperor. She wondered, "Why do not mothers of mankind interfere in these matters, to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone bear and know the cost?" She felt if she sent an appeal to womanhood throughout the world that the waste of human life in war could be prevented. Howe's document referred to as "Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation" was not a proclamation about motherhood or her own mother in the sense that Mother's Day is expressed today but rather it was an anti-war movement. There is a photo of Howe dressed in black holding up a sign that reads..."Give peace a chance"...as we saw many do during the Vietnam War. And we find this happening now in this generation with the Wars in the Middle East with thousands protesting loud and clear about war.

So those in countries whom are not torn by the strife of war are able to enjoy the freedom of celebrating Mother's Day. Some mothers in America and it's allies will not be having a happy Mother's Day. Their children may have already lost their lives or become maimed permanently by a useless war. The mothers in the war affected Middle East also will lament the passing of their own children...and in turn comes the day when there will be children in pain from the death of their mothers from a useless...needless war. "All we are saying...is give PEACE a chance!"