By Lacey Johnson

Mother’s Day in New Zealand is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May, and it is commonly referred to as “Mum’s Day.”   New Zealanders celebrate Mother’s Day as a way to “thank mothers for their efforts in bringing them up and caring for them.”  Unlike other countries, they celebrate all mothers:  mothers of friends, coworkers and  other relatives.   Mother’s day in New Zealand is important because 86% of women in their forties have at least one child.  Unlike some other countries, the median age of birth in New Zealand is thirty.

 Just like the American tradition, the “Mum’s Day” celebration in New Zealand can be traced back to a festival in honor of Rhea in Ancient Greece,  was the mother of Greek gods.  This festival was originally held during the Ides of March (March 15) through March 18.  The celebration of Mother’s Day in New Zealand can also be traced back to the Matronalia celebration of ancient Rome.  This was a Roman holiday that was dedicated to Juno, where gifts were given to mothers.

New Zealanders celebrate Mother’s Day with the same basic traditions of other countries.  They serve their mothers’ breakfast in bed and prepare special cakes similar to the ones prepared for Mothering Sunday in England and other European countries.  They give their mothers a rest from the daily household chores and their daily kitchen work.  Mothers are typically pampered with spa and beauty treatments on this day.  It is also a very common practice to take mum out for a luncheon picnic followed by dinner later in the evening at a restaurant.

Happy Mum’s Day!

By Lacey Johnson

Mothers in Sweden can rejoice!  According to a study of the best and worst countries to be a mother in, published by a U.S. based independent   global  humanitarian organization, Save the Children, Sweden ranks as number one!   Mother’s day in Sweden is celebrated on the last Sunday in May.  Unlike other countries, Mother’s Day is recognized as a family holiday and is not isolated to just mothers and their children.  It can be compared to an American family birthday celebration.

 Mother’s day in Sweden is a direct import from the Mother’s Day concept celebrated within the United States.  It became officially recognized in the country in 1919.  At that time, the government distributed literature, in brochure form, outlining the various types of festivities that were allowed to be partaken in, in honor of this holiday.  The holiday gained widespread, countrywide popularity once it was promoted within the church and schools sometime in the 1930’s.          

The festivities that take place today are the same that were outlined in the distributed pamphlet back in 1919.  Country folk sing songs, read poems,  ask for forgiveness and make promises to mend their ways.  The countries flag is flown in honor of all the mothers countrywide.  Mothers are treated to a day of rest and usually breakfast in bed.  On this day coffee is the drink of choice.  Just like in the majority of other countries, there is also a designated flower on this day, the chrysanthemum.   Also like in other countries, white symbolizes that the mother has passed whereas any of the other colors represents all mothers still living.

The most notable tradition in this country and what sets Sweden apart from all of the other countries around the world is what occurs during the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day.  During these weeks, the Swedish Red Cross sells small, usually plastic flowers, but sometimes roses on the streets.  The money collected from this sale is then distributed to local mothers and children in need.

“Glad mors dag!”

By Lacey Johnson

Spain and Portugal share not only the Iberian Peninsula but they share a lot of culture and traditions as well.  Both countries are what we would call relatively “matriarchal” in nature.  This can be seen as rooting from the strong religious beliefs appearing in both countries.   One particular holiday that is consistent between the two countries is Mother’s Day.  Mother’s Day is celebrated in these two countries on December 8.  It is celebrated in conjunction with the Feast of Immaculate Conception and is known as the “kick-off” to the entire Christmas season.

Unlike the majority of Western cultures and other European cultures, the Portuguese and the Spaniards celebrate Mother’s Day more out of respect for the Virgin Mother, Mary mother of Jesus, than they do out of honor for their own individual mothers.  This day is held on a day rooted in religion and is known to be a very holy and emotional day throughout both countries. The largest celebration in Spain is held in Seville.

The traditions that children currently partake in have not changed much through the centuries and also do not vary much between the two countries.  Just like in Western cultures it is traditional to give ones’ mother flowers, chocolates and cards.  The difference between this culture and the Western culture is that the majority of these gifts given are homemade, which is thought to be more genuine.  The day is celebrated with local dances and “fiestas.” 

Like in most other countries, there is a flower of choice on this day and that flower is the white rose.  The white rose is thought to signify the strength and devotion that it takes a mother to raise her young.  By far, the most significant tradition within this country is that the majority of children throughout the country create cards for the presidents’ wife.  These cards along with a bouquet of red roses and mixed flowers are delivered to the presidents’ wife by a select group of children.

“Feliz dia da mãe” – “Feliz día de la madre”

By Lacey Johnson

Mother’s Day in England is celebrated on the fourth Sunday during Lent. This day was chosen in order to offer a day long break from the fasting and penance of Lent. England is the first modern country to honor mothers and began officially honoring them in the 1600’s. This day of honoring mothers became known as “Mothering Sunday.”

The first Mother’s Day celebration occurred in the Ancient Greek Empire. It was held to honor Rhea. In Rome, Cybele was honored by a three day celebration known as Hilaria.

“Mothering Sunday” was started at a time when the majority of people worked as servants in far away cities. They were encouraged to take this day off and make the journey to visit with their mothers. The initial concept of Mother’s Day became more religious in nature and changed to honor “the mother church.” “The mother church is believed to be the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm.”

Current Mother’s Day traditions do not vary much from their “Mothering Sunday’s” inception. It is traditional to give one’s mother a “mothering cake,” of which there are several different versions. A “frumently” mothering cake consists of wheat grains that are spiced and sugared after being boiled in milk. Another popular mothering cake is known as a “Simnel cake.” A Simnel cake is a very rich fruit cake with an almond icing. It was inspired by a folktale of a married couple named Simon and Nell.

In Northern England, “Mothering Sunday” is celebrated with ”Carlings.” Carlings are pancakes made of steeped pease, fried in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Sometimes this holiday is referred to as “Carling Sunday.”

Unlike the giving of elaborate flower bouquets in the United States, children in England give their mothers hand picked wildflowers. Violets are the flower of choice.

“Happy Mothering Sunday!”

By Lacey Johnson

Mother’s Day in the United States is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. The phrase “second Sunday in May,” and “Mother’s Day” are actually trademarked terms. The placement of the apostrophe in Mother’s Day was also done with a purpose: to make it more individualized and honor each mother as an individual in her own right. Spring was chosen to celebrate Mother’s Day for two reasons : first, it is symbolic of the generations of life and when everything blooms and comes to life, and second, it is the time that America experiences their highest birth rates.

The concept of Mother’s Day was originally imported to the States by Julia Ward Howe sometime after the Civil War in an effort to unite women against war. It was inspired by the British day honoring mothers. Her efforts never became fruitful, however.

Mother’s Day, as we know it in the United States, was created by Anna Jarvis, two years after her mothers’ death, on May 12, 1907. On that day she proceeded to hand out 500 white carnations to every mother present at the Sunday service at Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church. Anna chose to distribute white carnations because they were her mother’s favorite flower and she helped her tend to them in her garden. She believed that white symbolized the purity of a mothers’ love.

Anna felt the need for a day to honor one’s mother because she believed that mothers’ bear the loss of a human life more than anyone else. She is also responsible for the creation of the Mother’s Day International Association. The Mother’s Day International Association was formed on December 12, 1912 in an effort to further the observations of the day throughout the globe. It wasn’t until 1914 that the holiday became nationally recognized, however by 1911 all states at that time actively recognized the day. Ironic as it may sound, Anna Jarvis herself, by the 1920’s, spent her entire life savings and ended up imprisoned for attempting to end Mother’s Day as we know it. She felt that it had become over commercialized.

Now in the 21st Century, thanks in large part to flower companies, white carnations have come to symbolize a mother that has passed while red carnations are a symbol of a mother that is still with us. The original church that Anna celebrated her mother at, Andrew’s Methodist Episcopal Church, is now the official International Mother’s Day Shrine.

Throughout the country on Mother’s Day, mothers are treated to flowers, cards, and breakfasts in bed. Americans spend $2.6 billion on flowers, $1.53 billion on papering gifts such as pedicures and manicures, and $68 million on greeting cards alone. The second Sunday in May has come to be known as the busiest day of the year for restaurants and the telephone companies record their highest levels of traffic on this day. The American flag is to be displayed “on government buildings and at people’s homes” as public expression of our love and devotion to the mothers of this country.

“Happy Mother’s Day!”