Mother's Day 2006!

How Mother's Day is Celebrated Around the World

Mother is said various ways around the world such as :-

France - Mere

Germany - Mutter

Hindi - Maji

Urdu - Umee

English - mummy, mum, mom, ma, mamma, mommy.

African Mother's Day

Some tribes like the Assam in Africa, don't call themselves families. They call themselves "maharis", or "motherhoods."

Chinese Mother's Day

Chinese family names are often formed beginning with a sign that means "mother". It's a way of honoring their moms long past.

Greek Mother's Day

The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother's Day in spring. They used to honor Rhea, "mother of the gods" with honey-cakes and fine drinks and flowers at dawn.

The Greek word "meter" and the Sanskrit word "mantra" mean both mother and measurement.

Japanese Mother's Day

Japan's Imperial family trace their descent from Omikami Amaterasu, the Mother of the World.

Indian Mother's Day

Hindu scripture credits the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs and beautiful sacred images.
Buddha honored mothers when he said, "As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man cultivate love without measure toward the whole world."

In India there is a ten-day festival known as Durga Puja which is held in early October. The festival honors Durga, the "Divine Mother". She is the most important of all Hindu goddesses.

American Indian Mother's Day

Native American Indian women have long been honored with the name, "Life of the Nation" for their gift of motherhood to the tribes.

Egyptian Mother's Day

Ancient Egyptians believed that "Bast" was the mother of all cats on Earth, and that cats were sacred animals.

English Mother's Day

In the 1600's, England celebrated a day known as Mothering Sunday, celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. Mothering Sunday honored the mothers of England.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the Mother Church - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.

People began honoring their mothers as well as the church. During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.

A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch. Sometimes furmety was served - wheat grains boiled in sweet milk, sugared and spiced.

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 locations this day was called Carling Sunday.

Another kind of mothering cake was the simnel cake, a very rich fruit cake. The Lenten fast dictated that the simnel cake had to keep until Easter. It was boiled in water, then baked, and was often finished with an almond icing. Sometimes the crust was of flour and water, colored with saffron.

French Mother's Day

Children in France spend days drawing a card and practising a poem as a surprise for their mothers. This springtime Sunday is refered to as Fete des Meres, and it provides children and adults throughout France with the opportunity to make their mother the centre of attention, and give her gifts and treats.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. It is treated more like a family birthday. Everyone in the family gathers for a special meal. This may be at home or in a restaurant. At the end of the meal the mother is presented with a cake.

Swedish Mother's Day

In Sweden Mother's Day is on the last Sunday in May and is a family holiday. The Swedish Red Cross sells small plastic flowers on the days leading up to Mother's Day. The money raised from the sale of the flowers is used to help needy mothers and their children.

Spanish Mother's Day

In Spain Mother's Day is celebrated on 8th December. It is closely linked to the church, especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Special cards are sent for Mother's Day and many of these are made by children. Shops sell chocolates, flowers and other Mother's Day presents, but many children make their own presents for their mothers.

Portuguese Mother's Day

In Portugal Mother's Day is celebrated on 8th December. It is closely linked to the church, especially to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Special cards are sent for Mother's Day and many of these are made by children. Shops sell chocolates, flowers and other Mother's Day presents, but many children make their own presents for their mothers.


European Mother's Day

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church"--the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church

Motherhood Trivia

Rosa Parks was the mother of bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama that launched the Civil Rights Movement.

Mother Shipton was a Prophetess in Britain 500 years ago. She could see the future, and predicted that another Queen Elizabeth would sit on the throne of England. (QE II)

Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States.

In the Bible, Eve is credited with being the "Mother of All the Living."

Mother Goose is one of the most popular of all children's entertainers. Her books and stories have been loved for many generations.

Mother Earth is also known as "Terra Firma". That title is a Latin translation of some lines from one of the Greek poet, Homer's, greatest poems.

Famous Mothers Quotes

Michelangelo's Mother:"Mike, can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

Mona Lisa's Mother:"After all that money your father and I spent on braces, Mona, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

Columbus' Mother:"I don't care what you've discovered Christopher. You still could have written!"

Napoleon's Mother:"All right, Napoleon. If you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, than take your hand out of there and prove it!"

George Washington's Mother:"The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

Abraham Lincoln's Mother:"Again with the stovepipe hat, Abe? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

Humpty Dumpty's Mother:"Humpty, If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times not to sit on that wall. But would you listen to me? Noooo!"

Goldilock's Mother:"I've got a bill here for a busted chair from the Bear family. You know anything about this, Goldie?"

Albert Einstein's Mother:"But Albert, it's your senior picture, Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something?..."

Babe Ruth's Mother:"Babe, how many times have I told you? Quit playing ball in the house! That's the third broken window this week!"

Batman's Mothers:"It's a nice car, Bruce, but do you realize how much the insurance is going to be?"

Superman's Mother:"Clark, your father and I have discussed it, and we've decided you can have your own telephone line. Now will you quit spending so much time in all those phone booths?"

Barney's Mother:"I realize strained plums are your favorite, Barney, but you're starting to look a little purple."