Mother’s Day is on May 8, and somehow it always sneaks up on us a little bit.
For those of you that haven’t bought a gift or thought of something special, just remember that flowers are always a nice way to acknowledge your mom. If you can’t buy her flowers or spend time with her in person, just call her up and let her know you’re thinking about her that day.
The annual celebration is about honouring mothers around the world and acknowledging the sacrifices they made and continue to make for us.
So often in society, the work of a mother is overlooked and maybe we don’t get the full picture of their role in our lives until we become parents ourselves. Maybe it’s not until we experience making the sacrifices that come with having a kid ourselves that we really start to appreciate that someone once made those same sacrifices for us.
The celebration of motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honour of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. Over time, the tradition went through various versions until it morphed into what it is today.
The tradition in parts of Europe became about Christians returning to their “mother church” on the fourth Sunday in Lent, followed by Mothering Sunday, when children would give flowers and gifts to their mothers.
Eventually, these traditions faded and merged with the current Mother’s Day tradition, which is a globally-recognized day of celebration – though not a holiday in Canada.
Whatever the history of the tradition is, people across the world now partake in shining a light on the woman who helped shape who they are.
Let’s also not forget that a mother is much more than just the person who gave birth. Let’s remember to also wish a Happy Mother’s Day to the grandmas, step-mothers, surrogate moms, foster moms, moms-to-be, moms who have experienced loss, and to the dads who take on the role of two parents.
Happy Mother’s Day!
