Mother's Day

Posted by Katrien Vander Straeten Apr 11, 2007

In almost a month it will be Mother's Day, in my view one of the most important of secular holidays in the world - I held this belief even before I became a mother myself.

The holiday has fascinating origins in the Ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and connections with the Virgin Mary. But we owe our modern Mother's Day to two brave women, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, they fought for recognition of mothers all over the world.

Read all about that in The Historical Meaning of Mother's Day

So don't forget: 13 May is the day. There are many mothers to honor:

• the mothers who gave birth to us, who raised us
• the Mother Church, which you may interpret any way you like, as the fount of our spiritual birth and strength
• and last but not least, in these times of growing ecological trouble, let's also honor our Mother, the Earth (Rhea or Gaia among the Greeks)