Throughout the month of May, the celebration of mothers takes place.
As we all know, the responsibility of motherhood is huge, and the mental load can easily be very stressful.

This holiday exists so we can show appreciation to women who have an influence on our lives, whether it is our biological mother, our stepmother, our adoptive mother, a mother-to-be, a mother who has passed away, and the list goes on.
Hopefully we all have a mother figure in our lives that is there to support us, to help us make the right decisions, and to care for us. 

A bit of history…

This holiday has its own history, depending on the country. 

The celebration of a mother figure is known to have started in ancient Greece, when people celebrated Rhea, the Great Mother of the Gods.
During the 16th century, Christians used to celebrate Mothering Sunday in the UK, a very religious commemoration at the time that honored women and their children.
Mother’s Day, as we know it nowadays, started in the United States. The first women to desire to start this tradition were Julia Howe and Ann Jarvis, who campaigned for a peaceful celebration in the late 1800s. In 1908, the first Mother Day’s celebration took place as Ann’s daughter organized a private memorial for Ann, who had recently passed away.
This idea quickly spread throughout the whole country, even if the proposal to make it an official holiday was denied at first. Eventually, in 1914, the President of the United States accepted it as a national holiday, held every year on the second Sunday of May. After that, several countries all around the world followed up the tradition and officialised this holiday… But what about France?

Mother’s Day in France

The origins of this holiday in France are quite different from what I have just told you about.

In the early 1800s, the French emperor Napoléon I, thought of creating a day where people would celebrate mothers of large families. This idea did not come to life until 1896, as a way of motivating people to be more family-oriented and have more children. Shortly, during the first decade of the 20th century, mothers of big families were starting to get honored as much as the fathers. 

French people would have to wait until the end of World War I to start celebrating Mother’s Day inspired by the American tradition.
In 1918 a celebration took place to honor the women who lost their husbands in battle.  Mother’s Day became an official holiday in the following years, with the intention of celebrating and honoring mothers and their involvement in their family’s lives.
In 1950, a law was passed stating that Mother’s Day would occur every year on the last Sunday of May. However, if the Pentecost (Christian holiday after Easter) happens on that same Sunday, Mother’s Day is postponed to the first Sunday of June. And guess what? That is what is going to happen this year! Mother’s Day in France will be celebrated on June 7th of 2020.

The new way of celebrating Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, which was first created to make mothers feel appreciated, has now been highly exploited. In fact, retailers quickly understood how this holiday could be beneficial for them and started to take advantage of it.

From Mother’s Day pre-made cards to expensive gifts, the commercialization of this holiday is one of the most successful ways to make money in most developed countries.

What could we do to make Mother’s Day less of a commercial holiday?

Well, there are a lot of possibilities! 

• • Instead of buying pre-made cards at your local supermarket, you could make your own.
    It is quite easy, fast and you have the power to do whatever you want to your card – make it simple or extravagant, you decide!
    

• • Write a letter to the mother figure you want to celebrate.
    Writing letters is a lost art. Unlike cards, which are meant to be aesthetically pleasing, take this chance to express yourself and tell them how much they mean to you.

• • Food, food, food!
    You could prepare her a little something to eat, in order to show her your appreciation. Whether it is breakfast in the morning or any other meal, this is a lovely idea that would make anyone happy.

• • A drawing goes a long way.
    The simplest things can bring the most happiness in life. If you are an artsy person, you could definitely draw something cute and give it to her as a gift.

• • Make use of your printer.
    Some moments are so special that they become part of the highlights of our lives. Do not hesitate to print a picture (or a picture collage) that means a lot to both of you.

• • Most importantly, do not forget to tell her how much you care about her.
    Sometimes we do not show much affection to the ones we care about the most. This is the perfect opportunity to remind them how important they are to you.

Hopefully, you enjoy this year’s Mother’s Day close to the women you appreciate the most in your life. If not, do not forget that distance does not invalidate your feelings. Cherish the sweet memories!
Also, keep in mind that there are various celebrations honoring other family members such as fathers and grandparents and they are just as important! Appreciate your relationship with others and keep on making great memories.