The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mother of all creations

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Sunday, May 11, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Mother of all creations

One may well question the need for a Mother’s Day? The appropriate counter question is simply “why not?” Afterall, Mother is the most important person in any one’s life.

Only a mother understands what a child doesn’t say. Her heart always understands the need of her child. Her arms are always open to hug her child. Her gentle eyes overflow with love but turn stern when the need arises. Her lap is the best comfort zone. Her knee is the best academy. She is the first to run and help when the child falls down. She is the strength and courage to every child born. She is the one who puts her child to sleep with a soft lullaby or bedtime story. She may look gentle as a dove but is brave as a lioness.

One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, the great mother of Greek gods. The ancient Romans also had another holiday when mothers were usually given gifts.

Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom and Ireland falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one’s mother’s church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day.

The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. It was loosely inspired by the British day and was imported by social activist Julia Ward Howe, author of the "Battle Hymn of the Republic, after the American Civil War. It was intended as a call to unite women against war Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, who attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers’ Work Days in 1858. When Jarvis died in 1907, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother’s Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on 10 May 1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Originally the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, this building is now the International Mother’s Day Shrine (a National Historic Landmark). From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war. Mother’s Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions.

In most countries, Mother’s Day is a new concept copied from western civilization. In many African countries, the idea of Mother’s Day has its origins in copying the British concept while in most of East Asia, Mother’s Day is a heavily marketed and commercialized concept copied straight from Mother’s Day in the USA.

In India too Mother’s Day Celebration is slowly catching up. Though it may still be a new concept in our country or respective cities and town but in a time span of less than a decade, Mothers Day has been a great success too.

Just as in the West, Indians too have begun to observe Mother’s Day as a time too reflect on the importance of mothers in their life. They take it as a time to think about the great deal of pain and hardship their mother undertook so that they lead a better life. The day is seen as an occasion to thank their mothers for being a constant guiding force in their lives.

Awareness about Mothers Day is, however, much greater in metros and other big and happening cities than in smaller towns. Thanks to the booming card market, who keep reminding people about when is Mother’s Day and how it must be celebrated.

People mostly prefer to send cards to their mothers on this day. Many make a meal for Mothers so that she can have a day’s rest from the kitchen. Tradition of giving gifts on Mothers Day is also rampant. The whole idea is to make her feel important on the day and be happy about mothering caring children.

The celebrations are gradually getting commercialized too. Big companies launch various women oriented products on the day and restaurants try to lure people with attractive advertisements. Media too creates a hype about the day with special programmes and features.

Often jewellery, fruits, apparels and sweets are considered as the best gifts and these items practically clutter the online shopping sites too. Many children also do unconventional things like getting a tattoo on their arms or chest which says “Mom I love you”.

Scapbooking is a new phenomenon that appears to be catching up with children. Compilation of old letters and photographs with a dash of colour and select quotes makes it a special gift. No other thought gives the mother more pleasure and satisfaction than when she finds that so much time and effort was spent in making her gift.

Ultimately it boils down to show that you “care”. There is nothing wrong in celebrating Mother’s Day and motherhood. It is a historical tradition dating back almost as far as mothers themselves. Nobody will deny mothers are what children need. Mother’s love is the fuel that enables an individual to do the impossible. So let us express our gratitude by honouring them in our own little, unique way.

- Soma Basu

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