Flowers, cards, cakes and gifts. Love, hugs, kisses and phone calls home are just some of the ways people will pay tribute to their mothers on Mother's Day. Some people complain that Mother's Day is too commercialised, others will observe the celebrations as a matter of obligation, however many more will be grateful for the chance to express to their mothers warm and genuine feelings of love and appreciation.

Celebrations of Mother's Day are held throughout the world. In fact some 46 countries honour mothers with a special day. However not all celebrate it on the same date. In Australia, the United States, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey and Belgium it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. But in England Mother's Day is always the 4th Sunday of Lent. International Mother's Day however is always May 11th. But if you are in the USA, however, and forget your Mother-In-Law you can catch up on the 4th Sunday in October, which is the officially designated Mother-In-Law Day!

How many of us spare a thought for how our celebrations of Mother's Day originated?

GREEK MYTHOLOGY

The very first celebrations in honour of mothers were held in Ancient Greece during the spring. They paid tribute to Rhea, The Mother of the Gods. Rhea was the Titan of "Earth and Fertility", both sister and wife to the Titan, Cronus (Saturn). However Cronus, after having been told that he would be dethroned by his own son, swallowed his own offspring at birth. Rhea tricked Cronus by saving her son Zeuss and giving Cronus a rock to swallow instead.

Cronus himself managed to escape to Italy, where he ruled as Saturn. The period of his rule was said to be the "Golden Age" on earth, honoured by the "Saturnia Feast".

After overthrowing his father Zeus drew lots with his brothers Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of all the Gods and formed the Olympians. The Olympians are a group of 12 gods. They are named after their dwelling place Mount Olympus and all are related in some way.

Zeus is the lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt, which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera, but, is equally famous for his many affairs. He is known to punish those who lie or break oaths.

Today Rhea is remembered in astrology as the name of the second largest of Saturn's (Zeuss) 14 satellites (moons)

ROMAN TIMES

In Rome the most significant Mother's Day-like festival was dedicated to the worship of Cybele, another mother goddess. Ceremonies in her honor began some 250 years before Christ was born. This Roman religious celebration, known as Hilaria, lasted for three days - from March 15 to 18!

MOTHERING SUNDAY

A little more like our modern celebrations of Mother's Day is England's "Mothering Sunday". Mothering Sunday is also called Mid-Lent Sunday and is observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent.

Some say that Mothering Sunday originated out of the Roman ceremonies in honour of Cybele. The church adopting Mothering Sunday as an occasion to venerate Mary the Mother of Christ.

Others believe that the Mother Church was substituted for mother goddess and custom began to dictate that a person visit the church of his or her baptism on this day. People attended the mother church of their parish, laden with offerings.

During the 1600's young men and women who were apprentices or servants returned to their homes on Mothering Sunday, bringing to their mothers small gifts such as a trinket or a "mothering cake". Occasionally furmety was served - wheat grains boiled in sweet milk, sugared and spiced.

However in Northern England and in Scotland, the preferred refreshments were carlings - pancakes made of steeped pease fried in butter, with pepper and salt. In fact in some places this day was even called Carling Sunday.

Yet another kind of mothering cake is the simnel cake. A simnel cake is a very rich fruitcake. The Lenten fast meant that the simnel cake had to keep until Easter. It was boiled in water, then baked. Often it was finished with an almond icing but sometimes the crust was of flour and water, coloured with saffron.

MOTHER'S PEACE DAY

The idea of a national Mother's Day actually began in the United States during the 1870's. But rather than an idea for children to honour their mothers it was a plea from Julia Ward Howe for mother's from around the world to rally together and end war. Julia Howe declared a Mother's Peace Day however her suggestion never quite gained the popularity it possibly deserved though signs of it continue to reverberate in modern times.

Julia Ward Howe was also the author of the lyrics for "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and also a leader in the abolitionist and women's suffrage movements.

MOTHER'S DAY

It is generally felt that the idea for our prevailing Mother's Day celebrations began with Anna. M. Jarvis. Even though Anna herself was never married.

Anna Marie Jarvis was born on May 1st, 1864 in Webster, Taylor County, West Virginia. She was the 9th of 11 children born to Ann Reese and Granville Jarvis.

When Anna was a year and a half old the family moved to Grafton, about 4 miles south of Webster. There she received her education in public schools and in 1881 she enrolled at the Augusta Female Academy in Staunton, Virginia, now the Mary Baldwin College. After finishing she returned to Grafton as a teacher, for the next seven years.

Anna's father passed away in 1902. Afterwards Anna, her mother and sister Elsinore (Lillie) who was blind, moved to Philadelphia to live with her brother Claude.

Anna's mother, had founded the Mother's Day Work Clubs. She had organised these clubs to improve sanitary conditions in Grafton. They also raised money for medicine, made bottled milk, organised food inspections and provided domestic help for mothers afflicted with tuberculosis. Soon the clubs spread and during the Civil War they acted as neutral agents offering assistance to soldiers of both sides of the campaign.It was also a time of great personal pain and suffering as she experienced the death of 8 of her 11 children.

Anna often heard her mother talk of establishing a memorial for all mothers, living and dead. It is reported that one particular incident stayed with Anna and became a driving force towards the establishment of this memorial. One day when Anna was 12 she was present during a class prayer titled "Mother's of the Bible" given by Mrs. Jarvis. At the conclusion Mrs Jarvis said "I hope that someone, sometime will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life. She is entitled to it"

Anna's brother Claude recalls that at the graveside of her mother's funeral service Anna said ".... by the grace of God, you shall have that mother's Day".

Following this declaration, Anna began an intense campaign to fulfil her mother's dream. Anna hoped that a day dedicated to mothers everywhere would strengthen family bonds and increase appreciation and respect for parents whilst they were still alive.

On May 9th, 1906, the first anniversary of Mrs. Jarvis' death, Anna and some friends reviewed the accomplishments achieved by the Mother's Day Work Clubs founded by Mrs. Jarvis. Accordingly she wrote to Norman F. Kendall of Grafton asking him to establish a mother's Day Memorial Committee with her mother's co-workers at the St. Andrews Church. She also asked that a resolution be passed introducing the founding of a Mother's Day. Consequently on the second anniversary of Mrs. Jarvis' death, May 12th, a memorial service was held for her at the St. Andrews Church.

Following her success Anna moved her campaign towards the establishment of a national Mother's Day. Literally hundreds of letters were sent to legislators, businessmen and executives at both a state and national level. She spoke often about her project, refusing no opportunity to further her cause.

However few felt a great deal of sympathy until she succeeded in gaining the support of John Wanamaker of Philadelphia. John Wanamaker was a merchant and philanthropist and with his support her project gathered momentum.

So on the 3rd anniversary of her mother's death in 1908 the observance of a general mother's day began with the launch of programs at the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton and in Philadelphia.

Anna sent along 500 white carnations, her mother's favourite flower. In a telegram Anna said that

In the ensuing years Anna sent over 10,000 carnations as gifts to the Andrews Church.

Now throughout the world, carnations - red for living parents and white for deceased - are worn world wide as symbols of the purity, strength and endurance of motherhood.

At the Grafton service Mr Loar read a telegram sent by Anna which defined the purpose of the Mother's Day Memorial. It read

Following this a member of the congregation, Ira E. Robinson moved a resolution that Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church set aside the second Sunday of May each year as Mother's Day. Immediately the congregation adopted the resolution and Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church became the Mother Church of Mother's Day.

Anna was not at the Grafton service, but rather she was speaking in Philadelphia. On the afternoon of May 10th, 1908 the Mother's Day service was held in the Wanamaker Store Auditorium. Over 15,000 people wanted to attended the service despite the fact that the auditorium had a capacity of 5,000.

Following this memorable occasion a Mother's Day Committee was formed with the approval of Anna. The members were Mr. John Wanamaker, Mr. H.J. Heinz, Mr. Norman F. Kendall, Claude S. Jarvis, and Anna Jarvis. Together they made plans for making Mother's Day an international event.

Progress into the international arena was faster than anyone dared expect. By the following year, forty-five states of the U.S.A., Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico observed Mother's Day, both with services and also the wearing of red and white carnations in what was to become the floral symbol of Mother's Day.

The following year on April 10th, 1910 Governor William E. Glassock of West Virginia made the first official proclamation of Mother's Day. That year Oklahoma also celebrated Mother's Day. By 1911 every state had its own observances as well as an increasing number of overseas countries. The official recognition of Mother's Day came in rapid progression and in May 1914 Representative Heflin of Alabama and Senator Sheppard of Texas at the request of Anna Jarvis introduced a joint resolution naming the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The resolution was passed in both houses and was approved by President Woodrow Wilson, making Mother's Day a national holiday. Secretary of State William Jennings Brian made the official proclamation and in the President's proclamation, which followed, he ordered that that the American flag be displayed on all government buildings in the U.S. and overseas. Mr Heflin, who co-authored the resolution said

The achievement of Anna's dream in creating a worldwide tribute to mothers came at a price for Anna. In 1910 the floristry industry capitalised on the concept of Mother's Day. For a while Anna agreed and encouraged people to wear a white carnation to church on Mother's Day. However the commercialisation of Mother's Day caused her much pain and bitterness. In 1923 she filed a lawsuit to try and stop a Mother's Day festival from taking place and was at one time arrested for disturbing the peace during at a war mother's convention when white carnations were sold to raise money.

Anna claimed "this is not what I intended, I want it to be a day of sentiment not profit!"

By the time of her death in 1948 at the age of 84, Anna had become quite an ironical figure. Never married and never a mother herself she had created one of the greatest tributes to mother's everywhere. Yet her last days and her entire inheritance were spent trying to stop the commercialisation of the very holiday she had founded and return it to its original loving intentions. Her last days were spent in a nursing home. Whilst there, in a room filled with cards and flowers from around the world, Anna said that she was sorry that she had ever started Mother's Day.