Although Mother's Day has a very commercial and consumerist role, where the role of the caring, helpful, self-sacrificing and loving mother is extolled, the modern origin of this day is related to the fight for women's rights.
What is the origin of Mother's Day?
The origin of this festivity dates back to Ancient Egypt , in 2,100 BC, where they began to worship the goddess Isis as 'the great mother goddess', although it was not until Ancient Greece that they began to worship Rhea, mother of Olympus. This tradition was also adopted by the Romans, who began to worship the goddess Cibeles, the Mother goddess, for three days a year, to whom they brought flowers.
In the year 1854, Pope Pius IX decided to establish December 8 as the day of homage to the Virgin Mary , defining it as the well-known day of the Immaculate Conception and also as Mother's Day.
In the United States, the poet and activist Julia Ward Howe and Anna Reeves Jarvis led an active campaign that spread throughout the United States. And finally had results. US President Woodrow Wilson officially declared in 1914 that Mother's Day would be celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Why is it celebrated on the first Sunday of May?
In Spain, it took us a little longer to change the date of Mother's Day as we know it today, and it was not until 1965 when it was decided to move this day to the first Sunday in May . The reason for this date change was none other than to separate festivities: on the one hand the day of the Immaculate Conception and on the other Mother's Day. That it is celebrated on the first Sunday of May also has its explanation, and that is that May is the month that was related to the feminine divinities in the classical world, and the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the Christian religion . In addition, it is also the month of maximum splendor of spring and where the flowering of the countryside bursts, which is why flowers are usually given on this festivity.
How do children celebrate Mother's Day?
When the children are young, what is usually done is to prepare a gift in the form of a craft that is more personal and the children can participate, it is a gift made with love that mothers have always liked.
And adults, how do you celebrate Mother's Day?
It is very common today to send a Whatsapp to congratulate the day, give him lots of kisses (with a gif or image included) and thank him for how much he does for the family. Less and less, but the cards of a lifetime are still used , those in which a sentence is written with all the love in the world and is even accompanied by an emotional drawing.
It is very common to spend the day with the family , especially if the children are older and live on their own, and have lunch or dinner at home or in a restaurant that has been previously reserved, many of which even offer a set menu. special for such a celebration.
Who cares for the one who cares?
The message that society continually sends to mothers is tremendously harsh and demanding . Motherhood, in addition to carrying or holding our children, carries the burden of guilt
“They have taught us that today's women are successful at work. If you are also a mother, they have instilled in us that you must continue working without giving up raising your children with attachment and maximum presence, ”says psychologist Laura Cerdán. The message being sent to us is that, in order to feel satisfied with ourselves, we must be good mothers, have a successful professional career, and even maintain our ideal weight. "Because, in addition, the successful woman of our century has time to go to the gym and do Pilates," says Cerdán with a laugh. So, "normal" is that when we are on our way to work or waxing, a slab called guilt sinks our shoulders and makes us small. But how are they cared for while mothers drown in various swamps?
As mothers, in addition to carrying or holding our babies, we carry the burden of guilt. It is a common and shared feeling and it is due to the education received: “We have been taught that women can do everything, which is true, but being able to do it has been confused with having to do everything and well”. We are required to cover all the emotional and material needs of our children, work 40 hours and keep our mental health intact. Laura Cerdán speaks clearly: " When you are a mother you discover that work-life balance does not exist as such and we assume that everything must fall on us ." Therefore, many women feel frustrated because they believe that they do not reach everything. “We lack time and that makes us give up having time for ourselves in favor of working and taking care of our family,” she says.
Boys and girls need a strong and constant attachment figure, but if there were two instead of one, it would allow the mother to rest and regain strength. It is not a matter of the father helping, it is rather sharing responsibilities and co-parenting. Helping would be for the mother to dress the child and for the father to put on his shoes. And co-breeding would be that one day the father sees him and another the mother. Mastitis, whether it exists or not, needs to be distributed so that mothers can breathe…..If we don't go to dinner because we should go, and if we go because we are selfish leaving our babies or children.
Maternity is not an obligation since we have the right to our maternal desire when and how we want and with the age that seems to us, just as men have always done.
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