The Origins of

Motherhood has been celebrated since ancient times. The ancient Greeks paid homage to Rhea, the Mother of Gods; and there are records of the ancient Romans worshiping a mother Goddess known as Cybele as early as 260 BC.

Tradition began in 1600s

Festivals took place in the spring which was the most fertile time of the year The more modern way of honoring mothers began in England in the 1600s where Mothering Sunday was observed on the fourth Sunday of Lent This day is also known as ‘Refreshment Sunday,’ the only day when you are allowed to eat or do whatever you have given up for Lent

Not surprisingly, families came together and took the opportunity to party with a big meal at which mother was treated as the guest of honor Traditionally, mothers were given posies of flowers and a cake

Mother’s Day replaced Mothering Sunday

The term ‘Mothering Sunday’ has now fallen into disuse and has mostly been replaced by ‘Mother’s Day,’ which is used the world over

In the US, there were several attempts to introduce a Mother’s Day as a way to celebrate peace and heal the scars of war Julia Ward, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested the idea in 1872

But the idea didn’t really take off until Anna Jarvis campaigned for the establishment of a Mother’s Day to commemorate her own mother who died in 1905 Ward’s mother herself had tried to establish a similar holiday, Mother’s Friendship Day, to heal the pain of the Civil War

First US Mother’s Day in 1907

The first Mother’s Day in the US was held in 1907, when Julia Ward held a ceremony to honor her mother She then successfully campaigned for a formal holiday to honor mothers and by 1911 most states had taken up the idea This was followed in 1914 by a declaration by President Woodrow Wilson that Mother’s Day should be celebrated as a national holiday on the second Sunday in May The idea quickly spread to Canada and Mexico and many more countries throughout the world

The commercialization of Mother’s Day quickly followed, much to the disgust of Anna Jarvis who was arrested in 1923 at a Mother’s Day festival for trying to stop women selling flowers

Ironically Anna Jarvis campaigned for many years against the commercialization of Mother’s Day, the day she had worked so hard to establish

Although she had no children of her own, each Mother’s Day, Anna received hundreds of cards from all over the world Anna Jarvis died in 1948

Let’s be honest, every day should be Mother’s Day. Most of us have been lucky to be blessed with the presence of a strong woman in our lives It could be our own mothers, grandmothers, or a woman who stepped up and changed the course of our lives The term mother is flexible

In the Caribbean, mothers are especially important For many, mothers both provide for us and nurture us They put the clothes on your back and the food in your belly Some mothers pull double duty, running an entire household on their own Every May, stores hang up their discount signs and bring the dresses to the shop windows, and vendors patrolling the street armed with roses and donuts guilt trip you as you drive by, “You buy anything for your mother yet?”

There’s no wrong way to celebrate Mother’s Day, as long as you celebrate it Here are some ways we do it in the Caribbean

Mother’s Day brunch is a staple There’s no better way to show someone what they mean to you than through the gift of good food In the Caribbean, many hotels and caterers offer walk-in brunch buffets that include local favorites side-by-side with continental cuisines to give mom the very best

Music is a big deal in the Caribbean. For Mother’s Day, many promoters and organizers put together fun day events, complete with live bands performing covers of popular songs celebrating women This is a great treat for a Mom who loves music and entertainment

Throughout the Caribbean, local theaters and productions love to get in on the Mother’s Day spirit and often offer discounts on their plays Plays are an important part of Caribbean culture and oftentimes feature motherhood in a central role Art imitates life, after all

Sometimes the best way to celebrate Mom is by staying in Caribbean people treat every event as an opportunity to do some deep cleaning - Easter, New Year, Christmas On Mother’s Day, everyone pitches in so Mom can put her feet up, relax, and take a load off on her special day