O Mothers Day is a commemorative date that takes place on the second Sunday of the month of May, in which mothers are honored for all the affection and love they give to their children. This commemorative date was celebrated in our country for the first time in the 1910s, but it was only made official as a commemorative date, by Getulio Vargas, in 1932.
This date arose in the United States as a result of the action of Anna Jarvis, an American who proposed the creation of Mother's Day as a way to honor her mother, Ann Jarvis, a Methodist who dedicated her life to charitable work, mainly during The American Civil War.
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Mother's Day Origin
Mother's Day appeared in the United States, in the beginning of the 20th century, being idealized by Annajarvis. Actions to honor mothers, and all their affection and dedication to their children, were not a exclusivity of the North Americans, since historians have proven that peoples of antiquity already promoted.
You romans, for example, celebrated motherhood by holding a festival for a goddess called Cybele. In any case, the modern celebration was not inherited from this festival, but because of Anna Jarvis' mentioned role in creating a commemorative date to honor her mother, Ann Jarvis.
Who was Ann Jarvis?
Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis he was born in the state of Virginia, in the U.S, in September 30, 1832. She grew up in a Methodist family, and after marrying Granville Jarvis, she moved to the state of West Virginia. From the 1850s onwards, she began to dedicate herself to social actions in the region where she lived.
Ann Maria Jarvis was dedicated to Mother's Day Work Club (Mother's Day Work Club), an institution in which she and other women dedicated themselves to improve sanitary conditionsof the population who lived in some West Virginia towns. They sought to take care of people's health and make them aware of the importance of good sanitary conditions, that is, hygiene.
With the start of the American Civil War, Ann Maria Jarvis started to act in the care of soldiers, regardless of which side they fought on. She treated wounded men as well as providing food and clothing for those in need. It is important to remember that the American Civil War was, in terms of mortality, the worst conflict in the history of the United States.
After the war, Ann Maria Jarvis was dedicated to promote unity among people divided after four years of war. These actions were carried out through Mother's Friendship Day. This was an event designed by her and other women in her club to bring together former soldiers and their families.
Ann Maria Jarvis remained in West Virginia until 1902, when her husband died. As her health deteriorated, she moved to Philadelphia and lived close to Anna Jarvis, her daughter. Ann Jarvis died in Philadelphia on May 8, 1905.
Mother's Day Creation
After Ann Maria Jarvis passed away, her daughter, Annajarvis, born on May 1, 1864, went into heavy mourning. In 1907, she decided to create a commemorative date to honor her mother, and so Mother's Day was conceived, which was intended to celebrate her mother, Ann Maria Jarvis, but also motherhood.
THE Anna Jarvis's idea was not new in the United States, because, in the nineteenth century, there were initiatives to create such a date. A known case is that of Julia Ward Howe, a poet and activist who proposed the creation of Mother's Day for Peace, as a tribute to motherhood, femininity and peace.
Howe's proposal determined the 2nd of June for the celebration of this date, but the idea did not become popular and ended up forgotten. Unlike Howe's proposal, Anna Jarvis's prospered. In 1908, a first official celebration of Mother's Day was performed in Grafton, in West Virginia.
In 1910, the governor of West Virginia, William E. glasscock, determined the officialization of Mother's Day as a commemorative date in the state. The stipulated date was the second Sunday in May. Years later, in 1914, the American president, Woodrow Wilson, made Mother's Day official throughout the country. The date was the same as in West Virginia: the second Sunday in May.
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When did Mother's Day come to Brazil?
The arrival of Mother's Day in Brazil was a result of the popularization of the celebration in the United States. The strong influence of North American culture in the country made this date come here. THE first celebration like, in Brazil, it happened in May 12, 1918, in Porto Alegre, by the Christian Association of Young Men of Rio Grande do Sul.
The officialization of Mother's Day was held during the GovernmentProvisional by Getúlio Vargas, from the Decree No. 21,366, of May 3, 1932. Here, as in the United States, it was determined that the date would be celebrated on the second Sunday of the month of May. It is currently a very important celebration for Brazilians, as it highlights the importance that mothers have in their lives.
Mother's Day will be celebrated in Brazil, in the coming years, on the following dates:
- 2020: May 10th
- 2021: May 9th
- 2022: May 8th
- 2023: May 14th
- 2024: may 12
Mother's Day Date
As we realized, Brazil followed the North American tradition and determined that Mother's Day should be held on the second Sunday in May. However, this celebration is not held on this date in every country in the world. our neighbors argentinians, for example, celebrate this day on third sunday in october. Portugal and Spain celebrate it in first sunday in may.
Thus, we see that each country celebrates Mother's Day on the date that suits it, but, regardless of when, the important thing is to pay homage to this very important figure in our lives.
