In 2006, Utah ranked number one in the nation with 94.1 births for every 1,000 women. With the number of births, Mother’s Day is a big deal in the Beehive State.
The event honoring mothers is celebrated on various days in many places around the world.
According to wikipedia.com, one school of thought claims that the day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of the Greek gods.
The festival was conducted near the time of the vernal equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March to March 18.
The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno and mothers were usually given gifts on this day.
Wikipedia reports that in some countries Mother’s Day began not as a celebration for individual mothers but rather for Christians.
Mothering Sunday, also called “Mothers’ Day” in the United Kingdom and Ireland, falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent exactly three weeks before Easter.
It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one’s mother church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day.
Most historians believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their families.
As a result of secularization, it is now principally used to celebrate and give thanks for mothers, although it is still recognized in the historical sense by some churches, with attention paid to Mary the mother of Jesus as well as the traditional concept of “Mother Church.”
In the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
The U.S. loosely bases the event on the British day and was imported by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War.
However, according to Wikipedia, it was intended as a call to unite women against war.
In 1870, Howe wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation as a call for peace and disarmament.
Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother’s Day for Peace.
Wikipedia reports that here idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers’ Work Days.
Jarvis organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides.
In 1868, Jarvis began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.
For residents looking for a lighter way to celebrate the May 11 event, several local retailers are offering specials for all types of mothers.
In addition, time spent with loved ones continues to be a favorite among mothers.
To accommodate local residents opting to celebrate the holiday by dining out, several local restaurants are offering specials for mothers.
Many organizations also organize physical activities for Mother’s Day, promoting health along with family activities.
Garden planting has also become a popular way to spend the day with ones mother.
No matter how the time is spent, Mother’s Day is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world, according to Wikipedia.
Aside from Christmas, Mother’s Day generates the sale of more cards than any other single holiday, concludes the webside.
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