Even though Mother’s Day is not a church holy day, the commemorative event is known in approximately 150 nations. Following is a brief outline of its history:
It was at the start of the nineteenth century that Mother’s Day began its triumphal march, starting in the USA. The women’s movement—whose intent was to create awareness of the lot of mothers everywhere—played a large role in the process.
Ultimately, the U.S. Congress issued a “Joint Resolution Designating the Second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day”—a resolution passed as a token of love and respect for mothers—in May 1914. So it was that Mother’s Day 1914 was celebrated as a national holiday for the very first time.
From the USA, the holiday also spread to Europe within a few years. In our day, it is primarily in the western world that Mother’s Day plays a role. In other countries, mothers are honoured in similar fashion on International Women’s Day, and in some cases on another special holiday in honour of mothers, children, and parents.