Mother’s Day
A calendar year has 365 days. Some of these are celebrated as festivals or national holidays to mark a particular occasion or event. For many of us, the most eagerly awaited day is our birth day — a day to celebrate, to have fun, receive gifts and make it memorable.
There are other days that are observed all over the world to make people aware of a particular cause, like World Water Day, World Environment Day, World Elder’s Day and so on. So where does Mother’s Day fit in here? Well, it is a very special day honouring mothers. A day which celebrates motherhood and the positive contribution mothers make to the society. People flock to card shops to buy special Mothers Day cards. They try to look for cards with catchy phrases, and eloquent messages which would convey their thoughts and feelings for this wonderful person — Mother.
The first celebration to honour mothers was held in Greece during the spring season. Later, it was Julia Wad Howe of the U.S. who gave the idea of having a Mother’s Day. She felt that this could be a day dedicated to peace. The first Mother’s Day was observed on May 10th 1905 in a church in Philadelphia. There was a church service in honour of a lady named Mrs. Anna Reese Javis. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson of the U.S. announced Mother’s Day as a national holiday and that it would be observed on the second Sunday of May.
Today it is celebrated in most parts of the world. Children buy gifts or plan surprise outings to show their appreciation to this one person who plays such an important role in their lives. The word mother seems synonymous with such qualities like caring, nurturing and loving. She is an embodiment of selfless love and sacrifice. May be that is why we address the earth as Mother Earth for it is the source of all life and provides us with plenty for sustenance and show tolerance of all kinds of life.
Today we are so caught up in our own busy world that many a time we take things for granted. So we probably need such days to remind us about the significant contribution mothers make to our lives. And this one day is very special for her, for she values the appreciation as a token of our affection.
