Mother’s Day
“Commercial operation developed by a consortium of greedy florists? Product of the Vichy regime? Or a strategic intervention by the noodle necklace lobby? Where does Mother’s Day really come from and what is its history? A short investigation.
Date:
Nowadays, Mother’s Day is undoubtedly the most celebrated annual holiday in the world: a holiday in honour of mothers. The exact date varies from country to country and sometimes from region to region and city to city.
- In France, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of May unless Pentecost falls on the last Sunday of May, in which case Mother’s Day is moved to the first Sunday of June.
- In many other countries, such as Germany, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the United States and New Zealand, mothers are celebrated on the second Sunday in May. In 70% of countries, Mother’s Day is celebrated in May.
- So many countries celebrate mothers on the American date: the second Sunday in May.
- The UK and Ireland celebrate Mother’s Day, formerly known as Mothering Sunday, three weeks before Easter.
- In several Middle Eastern countries, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the March equinox.
- In Antwerp (Belgium), Mother’s Day is celebrated on 15 August.
– On Gifts-custopolis, Mother’s Day is also the most important holiday, but you can find unusual Mother’s Day gift ideas all year round and around the clock.
History of Mother’s Day
No it is not on Gifts-custopolis.com that the unusual gifts mother’s day appeared. Nevertheless on Gifts-custopolis.com you will have many original gifts for Mother’s Day.
It was in ancient Greece (long before the advent of computers and websites) that we find the first traces of celebrations in honour of Rhea, the mother of the gods, and in particular the mother of Zeus, who was honoured on that day. On the occasion of this festival, women received gifts.
Throughout Asia Minor mothers are celebrated. Also in Roman times, religious festivals were organised to celebrate matrons, during the matronalia, and Cybele during the Hilara. These festivals are celebrated during the fertility months in spring.
These mother’s day traditions persisted until the fourth century AD and the emergence of Christianity.
In Christianity, which brings together Protestant, Christian and Catholic religions, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday, there was also a form of celebration of motherhood. A Gregorian chant; the Introït which marked the beginning of a mass and refers to the mother’s milk called Motherhood Sunday.
The religious celebration waned in the 19th century and was replaced by the American Mother’s Day, conceived by Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century. From then on, it was no longer a religious holiday.
In France
In the 19th century, in France, in order to deal with the falling birth rate, many associations campaigned for the introduction of a Mother’s and Father’s Day. Artas, a village in the Isère region of France, was given the title of “cradle of Mother’s Day”, because in 1906 a first ceremony in honour of two mothers of large families with nine children took place.
Mothers of Large Families Day marked the beginning of the Mother’s Day tradition. Nevertheless, the holiday struggled to take hold in France. It was following the First World War and the influence of Mother’s Day celebrated by American soldiers that Mother’s Day became an institutionalised holiday. The city of Lyon (in France) celebrated Mother’s Day in 1918 as a tribute to the mothers and wives who had lost their children during the First World War, followed by the development of a national Mother’s Day by the government, which made Mother’s Day official in 1926, again in the context of promoting the birth rate.
Although the Vichy regime (1940) included Mother’s Day in the French celebrations, it did not create it, contrary to a widely held belief.
Mother’s Day is very popular in France and was enshrined in law on 24 May 1950.
President Vincent Auriol fixed the date of Mother’s Day as the last Sunday in May and postponed it to the first Sunday in June if the date coincided with Pentecost.
In the United States
Woodrow Wilson, who was President of the United States for two consecutive terms from 1913 to 1921, introduced Mother’s Day in the USA on 9 May 1914.
It is a recognition by the State, through a special day, of mothers of families, thanks to the perseverance of the publicist Anna Jarvis who had multiplied initiatives to establish a mothers’ day since 1905. Mothers’ Day was also a unifying event in the pre-war atmosphere with Germany (1914-1918).
Who celebrates Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is celebrated by children and adults alike, there is no fixed age for honouring your mother. Whether you are the president of a country or a simple worker, everyone celebrates their mother according to their financial means.
On Gifts-custopolis.com there is no age limit to find an original gift for mum.
Which gift?
We can already say that some items are not to be given on Mother’s Day, such as a home maintenance item like an ironing board and iron or a “book for dummies”… unless it is your mother who wants the latest fashionable household tool or a very specific book, but which it would not be wise to give on your own initiative.
In short, many gifts that are very “homemade”, that make a lot of noise, that risk upsetting everything in her house. It is also not advisable to give certain anti-wrinkle beauty products, slimming products or soaps as they convey a negative message if they are not bought personally.
Also not recommended: clothes that your mother would not have chosen, especially if she had not provided you with information on her size and tastes…
Many children make beautiful gifts at school from paper crafts, noodles, clothes pegs or many other items found by the teachers.
Many schools have little money, so Mother’s Day gifts are paper flowers, noodle necklaces, trivets personalised by the child, frames with real and beautiful leaves, a big drawing of mum etc. Gifts that most often provoke admiration and joy in mothers.
For the older ones, the gifts are obviously different: flowers, trips and city-trips for the richer ones. Mother’s Day gifts are therefore very numerous and of all kinds.
The average budget for Mother’s Day is €55.
However, the number one gift is still flowers.
Ideal budget also to find many small gifts mother’s day on Gifts-custopolis.com.
Conclusions
You will find a wide range of unusual Mother’s Day gift ideas on Gifts-custopolis.com.
Attempted boycott
The American Anna Jarvis, born on 1 May 1864 in Webster and died on 24 November 1948 in West Chester, was one of the initiators of Mother’s Day in the United States. She called for a boycott of Mother’s Day, without much success, because in her opinion it had become too commercial.
Victory for Mother’s Day
This appeal was not really followed up, because according to some journalists 9 out of 10 mothers are celebrated.
According to some people, this holiday has become too commercial and some have resisted, such as certain schools (particularly in Belgium) which have decided not to celebrate mothers for fear of stigmatising children with complicated family situations, or certain LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists, or for any other reasons which we find implausible in view of the character of Mother’s Day, which is a recognition of all the children for their mothers.
It is worth noting that Americans spend an average of $160 per person each year, or $20 billion, to celebrate mothers.
Bibliography
– Actu.fr: https://actu.fr/lifestyle/mais-a-invente-fete-meres-2_3251783.html
-Cnew.frs: https://www.cnews.fr/france/2020-06-07/quelles-sont-les-origines-de-la-fete-des-meres-704067
-DH les sports: https://www.dhnet.be/conso/consommation/quelle-est-l-origine-de-la-fete-des-meres-51b7b0a1e4b0de6db987f290
– Elle.fr “Spéciale maman” https://www.elle.fr/Maman/Special/Fete-des-meres/Fete-des-meres-3481571
-Madame Figaro: https://madame.lefigaro.fr/tag/fete-des-meres
– Huffingtonpost: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/05/24/fete-meres-10-cadeaux-pas-offrir_n_5377478.html
-L’express: style de vie:
– Ouest-france https://www.ouest-france.fr/societe/fetes/connaissez-vous-l-histoire-de-la-fete-des-meres-6856636
-Rtbf (radio télévision belge francophone): “La fête des mères? une histoire vieille comme l’amour filial
https://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_quelles-sont-les-origines-de-la-fete-des-meres?id=9605552
– Le soir: https://sosoir.lesoir.be/dou-vient-la-fete-des-meres
– Wikipedia :https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%AAte_des_M%C3%A8res
Gifts Custopolis.com Original and classic gifts during every event of the year
- Giant Wooden Dice Set – €8.90on 24 March 2023 at 10 h 53 min
Dice are used in many games. The best known are played with 2 dice like Craps, with 3 dice like 421 or with 5 dice like Yahtzee or Yams. Reiner Knizia, a world-renowned German game designer, reports that he has found 150 different dice games, which he explains in his book Dice Games Properly. Dice were found in the Indus civilisation in 2400 BC. Dice identical to those we know today have been found, with 6 sides and 6 small holes. Generally cubic with 6 sides usually numbered from 1 to 6 and therefore the values of the opposite sides is equal to 7. Dice have also been used as objects of divination. The Greeks claimed to be the originators of dice. According to Sophocles, the dice were invented by Palamedes, a Greek hero in Troy during the siege. Archaeologists have found dice in Troy. Ancient Greek vases also show Trojan war heroes playing dice. However, the dice we offer are larger than usual. These giant dice will please many players, both young and old. These dice are therefore perfect as birthday presents or as gifts for a party with friends. An original wooden game gift, to learn many dice games and have hours of fun.
- Personalised wanted – €9.90on 24 March 2023 at 10 h 53 min
Our most wanted poster is a personalised poster similar to the posters of the Far West time. At the time, they were designed to inform the public of the search for a criminal. The most wanted poster includes a photograph, the name of the wanted person and a few special features. The notice is accompanied by an offer of a reward for any help in finding the person. During the conquest of the West, many bounty hunters sought out bandits to obtain this reward. Here’s a fun and original decoration gift: a “wanted” poster like in the time of the bounty hunters in the Wild West. For the film and Western fans. A nostalgic poster like in the film classics with the famous cowboys played by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. A wanted poster personalised with a picture of the person of your choice is a nice and original decoration gift. To offer as a gift for a teenager’s room, for the interior decoration of moviegoers or as a humour gift for the person of your choice… Birthday, retirement, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, … You will easily find a good reason to put your boss, colleague, friend, son or wife in the spotlight. A fun gift for Father’s Day or Christmas.
- Mousepad to customise – €9.90on 24 March 2023 at 10 h 53 min
A soulless mouse pad? No thanks! You too can surf or work on a personalised mouse pad with the photo of your custom 2CV or with the photo of your last weekend in Paris. Send us the image that will brighten up your office. The mouse pad is an object that we use very often without paying attention to it especially if it is common, but if you choose to personalise it, it will be different. You will like to watch it, because it enriches your work or relaxation area. It’s up to you to find what you would like: a photo of your family, your friends, your pet or rather a royalty-free photo of your favourite actor, a pretty painting, an old postcard, the photo of an unforgettable Rolling Stones concert ticket or a photo taken during Tomorrowland or during your stay at Puy du Fou. In short, the photo that makes you dream and that looks like you. It’s also a nice idea to give to your loved ones for a birthday or as a small Christmas present for a college during the little staff party. Who doesn’t need a nice mouse pad to change from the one they’ve had for a long time. A small personalised geek gift to offer for any occasion.
- Plastic key tag to customise – €9.90on 24 March 2023 at 10 h 53 min
Order a keychain that you will like to take out of your pocket and that you will enjoy to show: a keychain with the photo of your child, your lover, or your puppy. It’s really cool and at this very democratic price it would be a shame to deprive yourself of this very useful and essential little accessory. A nice little gift to offer without moderation around you for a baptism, a wedding or any other important event to share with your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. For example a nice photo of the baby on the back accompanied by a date and his first name on the front because the keychain is printable on both sides. A beautiful photo of your couple is a beautiful romantic surprise for Valentine’s Day or for your dating anniversary. A keychain personalized according to your taste or that of your child can also display a sign of recognition to quickly find your bag or suitcase among others especially if there are similar ones. The key ring with the photo of your logo is a useful item to equip your staff members or an advertising gift idea to offer to your customers.An everyday accessory to promote your brand image. You can also ask us to print key chains with the logo or name of your sports club or association or community. Your members will be happy to support you and show it off with their sports bag or backpack …
- Metal key tag to customise – €9.90on 24 March 2023 at 10 h 53 min
A metal keychain is elegant and durable, with a chic design. An everyday accessory must have a pleasant look and aesthetic. In a few clicks add the photo of your choice. How about a photo of your fiancé (e) to always have him near you and vice versa. A brilliant and imperishable idea to offer a gift on the occasion of small and big romantic moments. For mom’s or dad’s day, what parent wouldn’t be super happy to receive such a cute keychain with the photo of their adored children. Send us the most beautiful portrait to make mom or dad fall in love. Offer this key ring in shiny or matt metal according to your preference with a beautiful photo of your choice. It is the ideal personal gift for your grandparents, godfather, godmother, daughter, son, friend… For all occasions or during an exceptional event such as the arrival of a new baby in the family! This key ring in matt or shiny metal is particularly suitable for business gifts. Give us the photo of your logo, badge or label, and we print for you. Your customers will be delighted to receive an elegant and durable keychain just like your establishment. Certainly a popular, traditional and stylish promotional gift.