Mother's Day

The first traces of this celebration date back to the Ancient Greece. In fact, the first to have established a day dedicated to mothers were the Greeks and the Romans who organized every year in spring a ceremony in honor of Rhea and Cybele, the mother deities of the Gods. Rhea is notably known for being the mother of Zeus and Poseidon, she is a deity related to motherhood.

Later, in the Middle Ages, it is possible that the first Christians venerated the Virgin Mary by assimilating the cults of these pagan goddesses. In this very Christian era, it was traditional to dedicate spring and particularly the month of May to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In the 15th century, the English celebrated Mothering Sunday, first at the beginning of Lent and then on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

In 1907, the United States developed the modern Mother's Day as it is celebrated today, by establishing the Mother's Day, in memory of the teacher's mother Anna Jarvis. On May 12, 1907, two years after her mother's death, she launched a campaign to create an official Mother's Day as a tribute to her. Her efforts bore fruit in 1914 when the bill was approved by the U.S. government. Every year since, the second Sunday in May has been a U.S. holiday.

In Europe, the origin of Mother's Day as we know it today may be associated with World War II. Indeed, when American troops arrived in France in April 1917, the tradition of Mother's Day became established in French culture. In addition, a "Mother's Day" was established in certain cities following the war to pay tribute to women who had lost children during the fighting. Later, when it came time to repopulate France, a "Day for Mothers of Large Families" was established to encourage women to have more children.