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SUBJECT:
Mother’s Day
QUESTIONS: Is
it okay to celebrate Mother’s Day? What is its origin? Is
it of pagan origin?
ANSWER:
We did a historical search regarding Mother’s Day and here
is what we found from more than one source:
ITEM ONE
Historians claim that the holiday of Mother's Day emerged
from the ancient festivals dedicated to mother goddess.
In the ancient Greek empire, Rhea, the wife of Cronus, and
mother of Gods and Goddesses, was worshipped.
In Rome too, Cybele, a mother Goddesses, was worshipped, as
early as 250 BC. It was known as Hilaria, and it lasted for
three days, called the Ides of March, that is from March 15
to March 18.
However, neither of them meant for the honoring of our
immediate mothers, as is done in our Mother's Day.
Rather more closely aligned to our Mother's Day, is the
"Mothering Sunday". England observed "Mothering Sunday", or
the "Mid-Lent-Sunday, on the fourth Sunday in Lent.
In the United States, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) is credited
with bringing in the celebration of Mother's day.
And, to know about the way the idea took roots in the United
States; how it came to be observed for the first time; and
how the undaunted spirit and unbounded love for her mother
led to fulfill the dreams of Anna Jarvis, the mother of
Mother's Day... END
ITEM TWO
In North America, the idea of Mother's Day was first
suggested in 1872 as a day for women and mothers to join in
promoting peace.
By 1907, an American movement, led by Ana Jarvis, was
underway to establish a national day dedicated to mothers.
Jarvis persuaded her church in Grafton, West Virginia to
observe Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her
mother's death, which was the 2nd Sunday of May.
Soon afterwards, church, business, and political leaders
began to champion Jarvis' cause. The idea of Mother's Day
caught on. By 1911, the popularity of Mother's Day had
spread across the continent.
Today, Mother's Day is celebrated all over the world.
Typically, most countries observe the event on the second
Sunday of May, although it is also held at different times
throughout the year in some countries.---END
ITEM THREE
ORIGIN OF MOTHER'S DAY
The second Sunday in May has
been set aside in honor of motherhood. Many churches have
special services in which they honor Mothers of the
congregation. They usually present the oldest Mom, youngest
Mom, and Mom with the most children a corsage.
There is a custom of wearing
a carnation on Mother's Day. A colored carnation means that
the person's Mother is living. A white carnation indicates
that a person's mom is dead.
Years ago, England observed
what they called Mothering Sunday. It came in Mid-Lent.
The first suggestion for a
day set aside to honor Mothers was made by Julia Ward Howe.
She suggested that it be observed on June 2, as a day
dedicated to peace.
Julia was born in 1819 in
New York to a prominent family. She was an American writer,
lecturer, and reformer. She was known as one of the most
famous women of her time. She wrote "The Battle Hymn of the
Republic", which was inspired when she visited military
camps in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War in 1861. It
became the major war song of the Union forces.
Julia became interested in
the women's movement. She became the first president of the
New England Woman Suffrage Association.
Three years after Frank
Hering of Indiana launched his campaign for observance of
Mother's Day in 1904, Anna Jarvis began a campaign to a
nationwide observance of Mother's Day. She chose the second
Sunday in May. She also began the custom of wearing the
carnation.
Jarvis' own Mother was
honored on the first service at Andrews Methodist Episcopal
Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908. Later, at
the general assembly in 1912, a delegate from Andrews Church
introduced a resolution recognizing Jarvis as the founder of
Mother's Day, and suggested that Mother's Day be observed on
the second Sunday in May.
President Woodrow Wilson
signed a joint resolution in Congress on May 9, 1914,
recommending that the federal government observe Mother's
day. The next year, the president was authorized to proclaim
an annual holiday.---END
CONCLUSION:
From these historical notes
we see a couple of facts:
1)
Some
historians see a link from Mother’s Day back to pagan
rituals; however, none of them had anything to do with one’s
mother, but rather idols and false gods. There is no
established or factual link between these pagan rituals and
what would, many centuries later, be established as a
special day of one’s biological mother.
2)
Though a
biological Mother’s Day was suggested by Julia Ward Howe, it
seems clear that what we have today was set in motion by
Anna Jarvis and Frank Hering. President Wilson signed the
joint resolution in May of 1914.
The
underlying principles of what President Wilson ultimately
established is compatible with the Word of God and
specifically the 4th Commandment to honor one’s
parents. There are now pagan rituals practiced regarding
this day and there are no historical links to anything pagan
regarding this day.
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