Nationwide — Believe it or not, but many people don’t celebrate Mother’s Day. But why? What’s so wrong with a special day to show love to one’s mom? Well, the problem for many is the origin – where the idea of Mother’s Day came from, how it started, and why it even exists.
The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to the worship of mythological gods and paganism. People in ancient Greece would hold annual celebrations in the spring in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. As a part of the celebration, people would make offerings of honeycakes, fine drinks, and flowers at dawn.
The Romans also had a mother of all gods that they worshipped. Her name was Magna Mater meaning “Great Mother”. They built a temple for her in Rome, and every March, there was a celebration in her honor called the Festival of Hilaria. Gifts were brought to the temple to please the powerful mother-goddess.
The Adoption By Christianity
During the 1600s, Christian groups in England adopted the tradition but called it “Mothering Sunday” as a way to honor the mothers of England. Because many of England’s poor lived and worked as servants for the wealthy, far away from their homes and families, they were given Mothering Sunday off and were allowed to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the “mothering cake,” was often baked to add to the festivities, and many attended a special service at the “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home.
Over time, the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and it became traditional for children to present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Commercialism
Now, in our day, Mother’s Day is one of the most profitable holidays in the world. Flower shops, gift shops, and other retailers generate billions and billions of dollars every year from people who buy gifts for their mothers on Mother’s Day.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), “The average person will spend about $140 for Mother’s Day, meaning the total spending will reach about $16 billion.”
Even more, according to The History Channel, more phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year. So the telecommunications industry is cashing in too!
What Those Who Don’t Celebrate Are Saying
Those who don’t celebrate Mother’s Day say, “Why choose only one day of the year to make your mom feel special? Why choose just one day of the year to call her?”
They also ask, “Why celebrate a holiday that originated with the worship of mythological gods?” They even question why someone would support a holiday that really has nothing to do with one’s mom, but more to do with retailers wanting to cash in.
What do you think?
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