Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and while this is a year unlike any other, we still need to take the time and effort to make our moms feel special. Here we explore the history of Mother’s Day and include some fun facts and statistics. Enjoy!
“In Greek mythology spring festivals were held in honor of the maternal goddess called, Rhea. She was the wife of Cronus and was believed to be the mother of many deities.”
“During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday", celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. This was a time put aside for relaxation and enjoyment during the long Lenten fast. Servants would go home to see their families, bringing cakes and sweets to their moms. This custom was called "going a-mothering". Each mother would receive a simnel-cake (Latin for "fine flour) and mother's would give a blessing to their children.”
“The first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1908. Anna Jarvis honored her mother Ann Jarvis with a memorial. Ann Jarvis had started a committee in 1868 to establish ‘Mother's Friendship Day'. Her motivation had been to reunite families after the Civil War. She died in 1905, before Mother's Day became a holiday.”
“Approximately 65% of all greeting card sales occur in the last five days before Mother’s Day.”
“More calls are made on Mother's Day than any other day of the year. Approximately 122 million calls are made on the second Sunday of May.”
“As you might have guessed, Mother's Day is definitely a busy day for flower shops. Twenty-five percent of their total sales are made around this holiday, according to the Society of American Florists.”
“Even if fathers might not be the ones driving floral sales on Mother's Day, if there were a monetary competition between the parental appreciation days, mothers would win outright. On average, people spend $133 on Father’s Day compared to $196 on Mother’s Day. Sorry, Dad.”
“In 2017, 26.8 was the average age in the United States for first-time mothers.”
“69: Highest recorded number of children born to one mother. The woman was married to a Russian peasant and lived in the 18th century. She gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets.”
“In Ethiopia, Mother's Day (or "Antrosht, as it's called there) is a three-day celebration that occurs at the end of the rainy season. The family celebrates by preparing a traditional meal, after which mothers and daughters anoint themselves with butter and dance while the men sing songs that honor the family.”
