May is probably my favorite month, albeit my birthday month, but for most folks, besides the exuberant presence of green, May brings up Mother’s Day.
It would not be an exaggeration that Mother’s Day brings up probably every emotion known to each and every one of us. Intense love, anger, loss, deep pain, and just about every other known emotion in the dictionary. And if your mom is in spirit, there is a whole other litany of additional emotions that race to the surface when confronted with the notable holiday.
I’ve always been intrigued by how holidays, organizations, or celebrated events began or evolved in history. So, I decided to check out a little history to learn how mothers and motherhood was celebrated.
These celebrations can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans,
where festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele were honored, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Honoring mothers was once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe; this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service.
Over time, the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would 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.
You can thank the “History Channel” for crediting Ann Reeves Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe for Mother’s Day celebrations in the United States.
Anna Jarvis’s passion and devotion was to women and mothers in particular, who made sacrifices to their children, and all children. How many women do we all know who are caregivers of the world and are not honored as such? This was her reason for “Mother’s Day”. Interestingly, she personally remained unmarried and never had children.
There have been, of course, stats on how many hours a day women care for others. I’m also sure there are many men who are now single parents for various reasons who have stepped up to that place. We all know caregiving is still the most difficult job there is. And for many, the most rewarding.
We honor all of you as well.
We are all souls together, honoring the message of this important spiritual work. I have heard some great stories about many children connecting with other children all over the world during the pandemic. Kids do amazing things when needed and surprise us!
I’m personally very busy this month with lot’s of Mother’s Day events all listed on my website here.
Yes, I will be returning to WXLO for my live “Mother’s Day” event in Massachusetts, and several online events as well, including my LIVE Streamyard show with medium Austyn Wells and my own online “Mother’s Day” event.
Enjoy, I’m looking forward to connecting in the merry month of May!
Warmly,
Suzane
