Anna Jarvis and Greek Goddess Rhea: What’s their connection to Mother’s Day?
The role and contribution of a mother in the life of a child don’t need to be reiterated. But moms deserve to be celebrated for sure. In order to acknowledge and pay tribute to their selfless efforts, the second Sunday of May has been designated as International Mother’s Day since the early 20th century in the US. This year, it falls on May 8, 2022. Well, Anna Jarvis, an American lady, is said to have founded this day to honour her mother. During her lifetime, Anna’s mother had expressed a wish that someone would one day pay tribute to all moms, living and deceased, and appreciate their efforts.
International Mother’s Day: The back story
Anna’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, was a social activist instrumental in the establishment of Mothers' Day Work Clubs. These clubs taught mothers living in various towns of West Virginia about improving the sanitary conditions to reduce newborn death rate and how to care for their children. Anna Jarvis resolved to honour her mother after she passed away on the second Sunday of May in 1905. When she saw children misbehaving with parents, she became even more serious about her resolution.
Two years later, in 1907, Anna Jarvis organised a memorial ceremony at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, in honour of her late mother. She also distributed white carnations, her mother’s favourite, to everyone who attended the celebration. Simultaneously, she and her supporters began writing hundreds of letters to persons in positions of authority advocating for a national Mother's Day. A Philadelphia-based merchant and philanthropist John Wanamaker supported her in this effort. From 1909, cities including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada, and Mexico observed this day.
Greek mythology and International Mother’s Day: The connect
A bit of mythology is also associated with the commemoration of International Mother’s Day. The ancient Greeks regarded their mothers as life givers and owed them enormous gratitude and reverence. The origins of Mother's Day can be traced back to a narrative from Greek mythology. Mother Earth, known as Goddess Gaia in Greek mythology is Uranus' wife. She is said to have given birth to the entire world and has been venerated as a popular goddess. Gaia's affection and admiration is said to have been passed on to Rhea, her daughter. Rhea, the goddess of fertility and motherhood, is frequently represented in a chariot drawn by two lions. She is a goddess who embodies nature and fertility. Every year during spring, Greeks celebrate her. These festivities are most likely the origins of the modern-day Mother's Day celebrations.