Where does this tradition of Mother’s Day come from?

NO MOTHERS DAY WITHOUT FLOWERS

Why are mums offered beautiful bouquets for Mother’s Day? Several explanations circulate:

In Great Britain, from the fifteenth century, a day dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus was established. This holiday was later extended to all mothers. The poor domestic servants often lived far from their parents, with their rich masters. On this occasion, they were allowed to pick flowers from their master’s fields before returning home.

Another explanation comes from Boston. It is in this city that the author and feminist activist supporter of the Suffragette movement, Julia Ward Howe, launched in 1870 a campaign for the rights of women. This campaign only became a success in 1907, when Anna Marie Jarvis began promoting Mother’s Day. When her mother died in 1906, Anna wanted to do something in honor of all mothers. The first Mother’s Day was born the following year: Anna offered a carnation to all the mothers present in the church.

It was in 1924 that Mother’s Day was introduced in the Netherlands by the Koninklijke Maatschappij Tuinbouw in Plantkunde (Royal Society of floriculture and horticulture). A targeted campaign was launched, based on the donation of flowers (mainly tulips). This stimulated considerably the sales of flowers in the Netherlands. After the distribution of more than 30,000 flowers in Rotterdam’s primary schools, the Mother’s Day phenomenon spread quickly and this day became an official holiday in 1928.

The very first celebration of Mother’s Day in France dates from June 10, 1906: it is the Isère that then puts mothers in the spotlight. And the tradition continues to take root on June 16, 1918, with the initiative of Colonel de la Croix-Laval of the first “Mother’s Day”, celebrated in Lyon. On May 25, 1941, Marshal Petain definitively establishes the “National Day of the Mothers” but the law was only adopted after the Second World War under the presidency of Vincent Auriol, May 24, 1950.

FUN FACTS

• The rose is by far the most popular flower to give on Mother’s Day. But give your mother her favourite flowers!
• It is of course to the florist in shop or the market that one entrusts the task of composing a personalized bouquet. You can use a delivery service that will deliver the flowers the same day but bring them yourself to your mother is a better course of action.
• Flowers are the favorite gift for Mother’s Day, but also for many other occasions. We choose to offer a beautiful bouquet because we know that it is fun for the person who receives it.
• Many see flowers as a personal gift and offer them regularly. Cut flowers are for many synonyms of beauty, love and joy: a gift that is always fly.
• In America, Mother’s Day falls on the fourth Sunday in October.

Credit: Funny how flowers do that