Mother's Day is a special holiday dedicated to those who gave life and raised us all. You can express love, gratitude, and appreciation to your moms, as well as your dads, every day.
But in Russia, as in some other countries, a special date has been set for this: since 1998, at the state level, this celebration has been held on the last Sunday of November. Thus, in 2024 Mother's Day will fall on November 24.
The holiday falls on different days in different countries depending on their history. Thus, in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Peru and the Philippines, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. This holiday is called International Mother's Day, or Mother's Day.
The exception to this rule is Great Britain and Ireland, which celebrate Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Also, many French-speaking countries celebrate the holiday on the last Sunday of May.
Most Arab countries celebrate Mother's Day on March 21 – Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Syria. There are also states in Eastern Europe that celebrate International Women's Day – March 8 – and Mother's Day together.
Even in the post-Soviet space, Mother's Day is celebrated on different dates. Thus, in Belarus Mother's Day is celebrated on October 14, in Georgia on March 3, and in Armenia on April 7. Ukraine supported the May date of International Mother's Day.
The history of the celebration actually goes back to the distant past, during the times of Ancient Greece. Even then, there was a cult of mother veneration: various kinds of rituals were performed in honor of Cybele, the great mother of the gods.
The first country to devote a special day to mothers was Great Britain. The original name of the celebration in Foggy Albion sounded like Mothering Sunday, or Mothering Sunday. Since the 17th century, the holiday has been celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary. Because fasting days are not strictly set, the date of Mother's Day in the UK is constantly changing.
Previously, poor people sent their children to work as servants in the houses of noble people, and only once a year they were given a day to attend church and be alone with their mother – this was Mothering Sunday. After the service, the boys went home with flowers, and the girls baked cakes.
Celebrating Mothering Sunday was discontinued during the Industrial Revolution, but the tradition was revived after World War II. Even today, people in the UK continue to bake rich almond cakes and also give roses, carnations and chrysanthemums to mothers on this holiday.
The tradition of celebrating Mother's Day in the United States goes back over a hundred years. It is believed that the idea of holding the celebration belonged to the writer Julia Ward Howe, who came up with such an initiative in 1870, but she failed to achieve official recognition. Teacher Anna Jarvis was able to make the holiday national in 1908. She decided to celebrate the day to honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children and dedicated it to her late mother, Anne Reeves Jarvis, who was instrumental in the creation of workers' clubs in the 19th century. In such clubs, mothers were taught how to properly care for their children.
As a result, in 1914, Mother's Day in the United States was formalized, and carnations became its symbol. Thus, white carnations are worn in the buttonholes of people whose mothers are already dead; red or pink ones indicate that the mother is alive. On Mother's Day, children pay special attention to their mothers – from morning breakfast to evening dessert. In addition, they give mothers cards, gifts or small souvenirs.
In Russia, the first Mother's Day took place on December 1, 1915 in Petrograd, but the celebration did not receive popular support and was forgotten for many years, buried under other historical events of that period. Only in the 1990s, the State Duma Committee on Women, Family and Youth Affairs took the initiative to revive the tradition. The holiday was supposed to support the traditions of caring towards women, strengthen family foundations and attention to the main person in life – the mother.
The idea of the deputies was supported by President Boris Yeltsin, and on January 30, 1998, a decree was issued establishing Mother’s Day.
In Russia, there are many traditions on Mother's Day, both official and unofficial. For example, few people know that in our country there is also a flower symbol of this day – the forget-me-not. This flower seems to personify tenderness, devotion and love, in a word, all the feelings that are associated with a mother. In addition, according to legend, it helps to remember forgotten relatives.
It is also customary to hold various official events on Mother’s Day – lectures, consultations with doctors, as well as concerts and meetings. Schools and kindergartens hold themed parties dedicated to Mother's Day, to which mothers are invited and given hand-made cards, gifts, and concerts are held.
On this day, special honors are given to mothers with many children: at concerts dedicated to Mother's Day, they are presented with awards – for example, the medal of the Order of Parental Glory, the title of Mother Heroine.
There are also unofficial traditions: for several years now, the “Mom, I love you!” campaign has been taking place on Mother’s Day, when Russians are given cards for their mothers in the week before the holiday.
And of course, the main tradition of Mother’s Day is to spend it with your mother or at least call with congratulations if it is not possible to come.
Mothers play a vital role in every person's life. They remain close to children in any situation, support and help overcome all difficulties. Mothers are our best friends and main support in life, our wisest teachers and mentors. And Mother's Day is a wonderful opportunity to thank them for all the warmth they give us.
These could be congratulations, flowers, gifts or just warm words. The main thing is to convey all your love and gratitude to your mother.
One way to celebrate Mother's Day 2024 is, of course, to spend time with your mothers. Many of them live separately from their children, and spending time together will be a priceless gift. You can plan a meeting at home or in a restaurant, or you can just take a walk with your mother, for example, in the park.
Another way to celebrate Mother's Day is to give small gifts. These can be either hand-made gifts or factory-made gifts, because the main thing is attention and benefit from them. The standard set for the holiday is a beautiful card, sincere wishes and mother’s favorite flowers.
Finding the best Mother's Day gifts isn't always easy. Think about what your mom likes to do or what new skill she wants to learn, because the main thing is that she is happy with the gift.
1. Gift certificate to your favorite store. A universal gift that is difficult to go wrong with – this way mom can choose exactly what she wants and needs.
2. Decorations. Suitable for those women who know how and love to wear them. These gifts can be engraved with a date or initials that are dear to your family. However, it is important to take into account the mother’s style and preferences, as well as her favorite outfits.
3. Go to the spa. Treating your mom to a spa, massage, or other relaxing treatments is a great idea considering the hectic schedules many women live in today.
4. Bath sets. If your mother loves to soak in a bath with fragrant foam, give her this set. It can also include various skin care cosmetics, for example, body lotion.
5. Recipe book. Suitable for women who love to cook and delight their household with new dishes – a beautiful gift edition with bright photographs will certainly take its rightful place on mom’s shelf. You can also put your mother’s favorite and unique recipes into a book.
6. Family photo session. A great gift that will at the same time help diversify family leisure time and spend time together. And a whole album with photographs of your loved ones will remain as a keepsake.
7. Yoga or Pilates sets. Suitable for more athletic women: they can include mats, fitness studio memberships, stretching bands and other equipment for light sports.
On Mother's Day cards, it is customary to depict, first of all, a huge number of flowers – mainly large bouquets of roses. Daisies and tulips are also often depicted. Of course, it is customary to draw mothers themselves with small children in their arms or nearby, or even just children. And almost no postcard can do without hearts as a symbol of love.
You can congratulate Happy Mother's Day both in poetry and in prose. For example, in prose the messages could be:
“My dear and beloved mother, I congratulate you on Mother’s Day! Let your eyes always glow with pleasant emotions. Never be sad, be as beautiful and happy, kind and sweet. Let sorrows pass by, but health never fails. I love you, my dear and only!”
“Mother's Day is not just a date on the calendar. Mother's Day is a kind, affectionate and beloved holiday. Mom is the most dear and irreplaceable person for each of us. On this wonderful day, I would like to wish all mothers health and inexhaustible energy. Let your children respect you and appreciate every minute with you.”
“Being a mother is the most important, sacred and highest thing that can happen in life. I sincerely congratulate you on your “professional” holiday, because being a mother means working 24/7 without vacations or weekends. So let this work, in addition to troubles and worries, bring enormous pleasure, inexhaustible inspiration, a sense of harmony and warmth. Let the reward and mother’s salary be the enormous, pure, selfless love of children’s hearts, warm family hugs and pride in their achievements!”
You can also write congratulations for mothers in verse – for example, these:
Mother's Day is a holiday of kindness and warmth,
For everyone, a mother is necessary and important,
For your hard work – bow to you,
May your horizon be cloudless!
Let children of all ages be happy
And on the holiday they will give you an armful of flowers,
And may all the love that is given to the child
Care and affection will return in full!
*
I really want it to be on the planet
All mothers lived happily.
Always make the children happy
So that everything cherished comes true.
Mother's Day is a wonderful holiday.
Our deepest bow to all mothers.
Let happiness shine in their eyes,
Let the sky be clear.
*
It's very difficult to be a mother
To understand everyone and forgive everything,
The whole house rests on her,
There is no one more important!
We wish every mother
Always be calm yourself
Strength, patience,
Never to get sick
So that children appreciate you,
To be loved endlessly
There's nothing stronger
Connections between mothers and their children!
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