Thank you Mum - a short history of Mother's Day
- 6-5-2011
- All Flourish: Parenting, Babies, Children + Family
It’s almost Mother’s Day in Australia. Shane Pinnegar of Voodoo Moon shares the history of this timeless tradition.
WHILST the ancient Greeks and Romans both celebrated motherhood, and the Christians adopted these celebrations to honour Mary, Mother of Christ, the modern Mother’s day tradition didn’t start until the 1600s in England when the fourth Sunday of Lent was known as “Mothering Sunday”. Servants of rich households were encouraged to return to their ‘mother church’, thus annually reuniting families who lived far apart.
Perhaps surprisingly, our modern Mother’s Day has no direct relation to this English version.
From 1858, Virginian mother Anna Jarvis campaigned to institute a ‘Mother’s Work Day’ to raise awareness of poor health conditions in the community. Upon her death in 1905 her daughter - also named Anna - lobbied businessmen and politicians to memorialise a day for mothers, in her Mum’s memory. By 1914, Anna’s hard work had resulted in the holiday being not only widely observed but also officially recognised by US President Woodrow Wilson and celebrated on the second Sunday every May.
Presbyterian church leader John Stewart of Burwood in NSW wrote to Ms Jarvis in 1920 for details on the celebration, and mothers at his church were handed out white carnations. In 1923 however, Anna filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day festival and was even arrested protesting at a mothers’ convention, horrified at the commercialisation of the event she had helped to found. She was appalled at the gift-giving and greeting cards now commonplace, and that white carnations (which were her mother’s favourite flower and Anna’s personal symbol of love for her mother) were now sold to raise revenue for the church and other organisations. Anna sadly died in a sanatorium in 1948, but not before she stated regret at ever starting the tradition.
Today we observe Mother’s Day to thank our Mums for all they’ve done in bearing, raising and teaching us, and how better to say thank you than to spoil your Mum with a simple yet delicious breakfast in bed, or on a beautifully set table. 
She may like these recipes: Macadamia Banana Pancakes, French Toast with Smoked Salmon and Lemon, Dill Crème Fraiche
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| There’s a knot in my apron strings! | The Flourish Woman | MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE | |
