FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 9, 2019 • MOTHER’S DAY • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
mother’s day
The history behind Mother’s Day
BY TRESA ERICKSON
Every year as the second Sunday in May
approaches, millions of people across the
country turn their thoughts to Mom and
fi nd ways to let her know how much she
means to them. Although it wasn’t always
celebrated on the second Sunday in May,
Mother’s Day has been around in some
form since ancient times.
Th e ancient Greeks and Romans held
a festival each spring honoring maternal
goddesses like Rhea and Cybele. During
these celebrations, participants would put
on parades, play games and participate in
masquerades.
Early Christians held their own festival
How to honor the important women in your life this Mother’s Day
Th is Mother’s Day, take the opportunity
to honor not only your mother, but all the
important women in your life who have
provided care and love when you needed
it the most. Th ink about the women who
have supported, nurtured and cheered
you on. Now it’s your chance to show
them how much they mean to you by
making them feel special.
Here are some ways to show the women
in your life how much you appreciate
them.
The mother of your children
Whether she’s been raising the kids for
years, she’s a brand new mom or is expecting
your family’s fi rst child, the woman
you’re creating a family with deserves all
the love you can give her. If your kids are
old enough, involve them in picking out
a fun gift you know she will love. Gift
selections are organized by category on
1-800-Flowers.com for lots of great ideas,
beyond gorgeous traditional fl ower bouquets.
Consider a delicious fruit or gourmet
food basket, or an indulgent spa or
bath gift set with a plush robe. Th is special
gift will leave a long-lasting impression,
well aft er Mother’s Day has come
and gone.
She’s been like a mother to you
She might be your stepmom, grandmother,
aunt, a former teacher or a beloved
family friend, but you think of her on
Mother’s Day because she’s always been
there for you. She’s provided a shoulder
to cry on and been your cheerleader
when you needed encouragement. You
can fi nd many gift s that you can personalize
with a sentimental message just for
her, for a meaningful keepsake that she’ll
always treasure.
She’s a great pet mom
She takes such good care of her fur
babies - always making sure they’re well
fed and pampered, playing with them,
showering them with aff ection and taking
them to the vet when needed. Show her
how much you appreciate the time and
eff ort she spends caring for her animal
companions with an adorable a-DOGable
fl ower arrangement that looks like a
cute pooch, or a Fabulous Feline arrangement
that resembles an adorable kitty.
Your mom
To make the ultimate statement of
gratitude and appreciation for your
mother, browse amazing luxury gifts
on 1-800-Flowers.com, ranging from
gorgeous rose bouquets or the Mother’s
Embrace Bouquet to a delectable Full
Bloom Sweet Treats Gift Basket. Why
not go all in with your siblings to
get your mother something truly special?
Or if you’re thinking about jewelry,
you can order a personalized
Family Circle Necklace engraved with
her children’s names for a beautiful,
memorable gift.
If you can’t aff ord to splurge big this
year, you can still fi nd great gift s, from
beautiful fl ower arrangements and delectable
gourmet treats to so much more on
1-800-Flowers.com that range from $25-
$35 on up. You can save big with an exclusive
collection of gift s if you order for
early delivery.
If you’ve waited until the last minute,
don’t worry! Th ere are plenty of options
for same-day fl ower delivery from local
fl orists across the country on Mother’s
Day, May 12. Th ese gift options include
our Local Artisan Collection, which features
16 truly original bouquets from 11
talented fl orists from across the country.
For the important women in your life,
it’s never been easier to fi nd the right
gift to show how much she means to
you. With both online and phone ordering
available, you can make just the right
selection this year.
Courtesy BPT
in honor of the Virgin Mary. When
the English took up the celebration, they
expanded it to include all mothers and
renamed it Mothering Sunday. On this
day, individuals attended services for the
Virgin Mary and then visited their own
mothers, bringing them fl owers, gift s and
treats.
Th e popularity of Mothering Sunday
had faded considerably by the start of the
19th century but re-emerged in the 1870s
due to the eff orts of activist and writer
Julia Ward Howe. Howe thought there
should be a day in honor of mothers in
the United States. She introduced her
idea in 1872, calling for the celebration
to take place on June 2 and all mothers to
take a stand against war. Howe had seen
the devastation the loss of life in the Civil
War had had on mothers everywhere.
Although many embraced her idea of a
day for peace, the celebration of Mother’s
Day as we know it today did not come
about until the early 20th century when
Anna Jarvis introduced it.
As a child, Anna Jarvis had heard her
mother pray for a day dedicated solely
to mothers, living and deceased, and
honoring their contributions. When her
mother died in 1905, Jarvis recalled her
mother’s wish and started campaigning
for a national holiday for mothers everywhere.
She wrote letters to many leaders
in her community and across the country
and spoke about the matter at many
functions.
By 1911, Jarvis’ eff orts had paid off ,
with nearly every state in the country celebrating
the day. Just three years later on
May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson
signed a bill into law, establishing the second
Sunday of every May Mother’s Day.
Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated
in various nations around the world.
Spouses and children all over take time
out to honor the mothers in their lives,
and for that, Anna Jarvis and her mother
would be thankful.
Courtesy Creators.com
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