The New York Womans

When and where did Mother's Day start? Which Arab countries celebrated it first?

Cairo - As Mother's Day approaches, flower shops are decorated, offers and discounts on gifts for mothers are on offer, social media pages are filled with congratulations, and the TV and radio are filled with Fayza Ahmed's famous song "Mother of the Beloved, My Love."

In this report, we examine the dates and customs of Mother's Day around the world, and take a historical look at its concept and early beginnings.

Mother's Day ... A Historical Perspective

The modern celebration of Mother's Day began in 1872, when American author Julia Ward Howe called for the celebration to alleviate the suffering of the American people who had endured the horrors of the Civil War that had ended only a few years earlier.

In 1907, an American woman named Anna Jarvis successfully promoted her idea of celebrating this day as a national event, and within just five years, all cities in the United States were celebrating it.

In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day a national holiday, and celebrations spread to most countries around the world.

Dates and rituals of the celebration

Mother's Day celebration dates vary from country to country. Below are the dates and ceremonies of some nations:

Egypt was the first Arab country to celebrate Mother's Day in 1956, and it is still celebrated in most Arab countries on March 21st each year, the beginning of spring. Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria celebrate it on the last Sunday of May each year.
While the Swedish people celebrate Mother's Day on the last Sunday in June, which is a national holiday in the country, France celebrates it on the first Sunday in June. Part of the celebration is for families to eat dinner together and make sweets for mothers.
The United States of America celebrates May 2nd as a public holiday, and the Mexican people celebrate this day on May 10th.
The celebration in Ethiopia lasts for two to three days after the end of the winter season, while South Africa, Canada, and Australia celebrate on the second Sunday of May.
Japan, for its part, organizes the "My Mother" exhibition, which features children's drawings of their mothers. It also holds a traveling exhibition every four years. The fourth day of Lent is celebrated as Mother's Day in England and Ireland.
While the Spanish people celebrate Mother's Day on December 8, which is associated with the church's veneration of the Virgin Mary, Yugoslavia celebrates it on the first Sunday of December, with the festivities lasting three days.
Finally, the festival in India lasts for 10 days in October and is called "Dargapurja," the name of a Hindu saint depicted as tall with 10 arms, each carrying a weapon to ward off evil.

Flowers and sweets

The most prominent celebration ceremonies in different countries include bringing flowers and gifts, and preparing sweets and cakes. Some countries also have distinctive ceremonies, such as Australia, where people wear white to honor their deceased mothers, and other colors to celebrate mothers who are still alive.

For the Yugoslav people, on the first day of the celebration, fathers tie up their sons and then release them once they acknowledge their loyalty. On the second day, sons tie up their mothers so that they give them sweets and gifts. On the third day, sons celebrate Father's Day by tying up their father and then releasing him after he promises to buy them new clothes.