By Aunindita Bhatia

As Mother’s Day approaches, people from all around the world are preparing to celebrate their mothers, and thank them for all the devotion they show every day.  Mother’s day is an event that is celebrated in about forty countries, all around the globe.

The origins of this festivity are found in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, where people used to organize festivals dedicated to the mother figure, or the goddess of fertility. This tradition was later taken up by the Church in Britain, on a day called “Mothering Sunday.”

In most countries however, Mother’s Day is derived from the event that originated in the United States, and it is from this country, that the tradition of giving presents has started.

In Singapore like most other countries, Mother’s day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May, which in 2009 it happens to be the 10th of May. Here like all the other countries, people celebrate their mothers with gifts, cards and also flowers.

In Singapore however people like to take the festivity to another level.  In this country, in fact, you will find that gifts to the mother tend to be much more elaborate than the simple bunch of flowers.  Spa packages are often given to mothers with the goal to have her relax and feel like a queen for a day. Gifts of jewelry and technological devices or gadgets to help her with household chores are also very popular choices.

Sometimes to bring the mother closer to her child, rice cooking competitions are organized. Here you will find that the mother and her child will need to prepare a dish together. This may be a very interesting and fun experience for both.

So for all the busy mothers of Singapore, “Muqijie kuaile!”