We just celebrated Mother's Day on the 14th of May 2023, but the truth is that Mother's Day is celebrated on different dates around the globe. In Thailand, for example Mother’s Day is celebrated on 12th of August in conjunction with Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s birthday. However, in most countries, including Malaysia, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May and that fell on 14th of May, this year.
Mother's Day was initiated in 1908 by Anna Jarvis, who organised a remembrance event for her biological mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who was a peace activist who had initiated Mother's Day Work Clubs to provide care for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. Anna wanted to pay tribute to her mother's dedication and sacrifices towards her family and the country which eventually became a national holiday in the United States.
The tribute in the form of a memorial service was held at the Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, USA on 12 May 1908, three years after her mum's death. Six years later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the second Sunday of May is officially celebrated as Mother's Day.
Although the wearing of white carnations was seen as a reflection of one's tribute to his/her mother, the practice evolved over time and soon red and pink carnations were worn to represent living mothers and white carnations for those who were deceased. Over time, Mother's Day became more inclusive and was expanded to include those who had played mothering roles such as grandmothers and aunts.
Mother's Day nowadays in most parts of the world, including in Malaysia has become largely commercialised with greeting cards, flowers, dinners and gifts characterising the celebrations. On the positive side, it allows us to reflect on the importance of mothers and those who had played mothering roles in our lives. However, we should all remember that they deserve to be remembered and cherished all year long, not just for one day a year. After all, we should never forget the hands that raised us.
R.S. Naidu is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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