Customs of Mother's Day around the World

May 12, 2012  | Posted in Reflection/Real Stories & Personalities, Lifestyle, Relationship, Love & Life |  44 Comment(s)  |   Share Article |

by Brenda Hopkins

 

 

By the time Anna Jarvis died in 1948, Mother's Day was celebrated in 40 countries around the world. Her fight to make this a national holiday spread around the world in just 20 short years. Although in the end she was opposed to the mass commercialization of the holiday, it has grown into a world holiday.

 

In Argentina it is customary to honour Mother's with dinner, poems and flowers. The husbands clean, cook and take care of the children on this day. The children write letters and poems and gather to read them to their mother.

 

In France the focus of Mother's Day was on the re-population following WWI. Mothers were awarded medals based on the number of offspring they had with eight or more earning them a gold medal. Today with the adaption of the western holiday, a cake resembling a bouquet of flowers is the common gift for a mother to receive.

Mother's Day celebrations were very prevalent in Japan until WWII when all western customs were banned. When the war ended the holiday was once again taken up but now it was a way to comfort mother who had lost children in the war. This holiday was celebrated every four years with children drawing pictures of their mothers, the very best would tour throughout Japan. Today they have once again taken up the western holiday and mothers are prepared dishes that they have taught their children to prepare as well as being given flowers, scarves and handbags.

In Yugoslavia there is a three-day celebration to honour the family starting with children's day. During Children's Day the children are tied up and not released until they promise to be good. The next to be celebrated is Mother's Day she is also bound until she gives the family candy and treats. The last in the three-day celebration is Father's Day the father is also tied up and must promise to buy the family gifts; these gifts are used to celebrate Christmas which is the next day.

While the United States' version of Mother's Day is the most widely recognized, most give gifts of flowers and cards. Treating mother's special on this day, some countries still relate Mother's Day to a more religious importance. Such as in Spain where Mother's Day is directly tied to the Virgin Mary and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Where ever you are in the world celebrating your mother is important no matter how you do it.

 

 

About the Author

Brenda Hopkins writes for "Wholesale Favors" about mother's day gift ideas and gives advice on engraved gifts.

 

Photo credit: Stuart Mills/Freedigitalphotos.net

Tags: parenting, reflection

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