Historical Considerations of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

As we all know, the next two months contain two special days:

Mother's Day -- May 13th and

Father's Day -- June 17th.

Most people have their own personal “historical considerations” of these two holidays – e.g., the family taking Mom out to her favorite restaurant, her poised at the head of the table, and the family putting on a special barbeque for Dad, everyone centered around him in a lounge chair. Nonetheless, these two special days have interesting histories.

With regard to Mother’s Day, people in many ancient cultures celebrated holidays honoring motherhood, personified as a goddess. Here are just a few of those: (1) ancient Greeks celebrated a holiday in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods; (2) ancient Romans celebrated a holiday in honor of Cybele, a mother goddess, March 22-25; these celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome in the British Isles; and (3) in Celtic Europe, the goddess Brigid, and later her successor St. Brigid, were honored with a spring Mother’s Day, connected with the first milk of the ewes. Other aspects of the history and awe of Mother’s Day can be found in the following interesting sites:

* Mothering Sunday in Britain

* Mothers' Work Days

* Julia Ward Howe’s Mother's Day

* Anna Jarvis and Mother’s Day

* Carnations, Anna Jarvis, and Mother’s Day

* International Mother’s Days Today

* Mother’s Day Statistics

* Mother’s Day Proclamations

* Famous Mothers

* Quotes on Mothers and Motherhood

* Ideas for Mother’s Day

* Motherhood in History

Regarding Father’s Day, in 1926, a National Father’s Day Committee was formed in New York City and was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father’s Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. Interestingly, Father’s Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother’s Day. Other aspects of the history and awe of Father’s Day can be found in the following interesting sites:

* Father’s Day at Alphabet Soup

* Barbara’s Entourage – A Tribute to Father

* Billy Bear’s Happy Father’s Day

* Marvelicious Happy Father’s Day

* Father’s Day on the Net - Welcome

* National Center for Fathering

* Father’s Day at 20ishParents.com

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Question: Do Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have any special “historical considerations” for you?

Bill