Do you know where the tradition of Mother's Day comes from? From ancient Greece to the 20th century, a look back at the history and origins of Mother's Day in France.
Celebrated in May, Mother's Day is a tradition that brings together young and old to honor the one who gave them life. A golden opportunity to show our mothers all the love we have for them and spend a friendly moment with family.
In France, Mother's Day is usually celebrated on the last Sunday of May, except when it is occupied by Pentecost, in which case it is postponed to the first Sunday of June. However, this is not the case in many other countries such as the United States or New Zealand, where Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May, or in the United Kingdom which celebrates Mothering Sunday in March. Although this holiday is known to all, its origins remain unknown. And for good reason, they are multiple and date back to Antiquity.
The History of Mother's Day: Its Ancient Origins
Our journey in the footsteps of Mother's Day takes us back to ancient Greece. In fact, it was none other than Rhea, the mother of Zeus, who was the first to see her role as a mother celebrated during spring ceremonies held in her honor. On the other side of the Ionian Sea, Roman matrons were celebrated in March, during religious festivals called Matronalia.
The fact that these early days of Mother's Day take place around spring is no coincidence, since it is quite simply the season of fertility, the one that sees nature reborn.
The origins of Mother's Day in France
To counteract the decline in the birth rate in France in the late 1800s, the National Alliance for the Increase of the Population of France movement set about restoring the image of motherhood. The actions taken to this end led to the creation of an official day in honor of parents of large families.
A few years later, and not unrelated to the pro-natalist trend that colored that era, a prominent resident of the village of Artas in Isère made history on Mother's Day. Himself the father of a large family, in 1906 he initiated a day in honor of mothers of large families and awarded a prize for "high maternal merit" to those he considered most deserving.
Although Mother's Day began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century, it was only after the First World War that the concept expanded and spread to Europe under the name of Mother's Day. Towards the end of the war, in 1917, General Pershing had all his soldiers distribute tribute postcards to send to their mothers for the occasion. This gesture then continued with a macabre connotation, since from 1918 onwards, a day was celebrated in honor of mothers who had lost a son in combat.
Little by little, the link between Mother's Day and mourning faded from people's consciousness, and Mother's Day was made official by the government in 1926. The solemn aspect of this day gradually transformed into a festive aspect, and it was in post-war France on May 24, 1950 that the expression “Mother's Day” was born.
A gift for Mother's Day
In schools, Mother's Day was quickly seen as an opportunity to offer children fun manual activities. The famous tradition of noodle necklaces thus entered popular culture, although it is now gradually abandoned in favor of making personalized cards.
But children are not the only ones to take advantage of this opportunity to please their mother! Adults of all ages also lend themselves to the game, to the great delight of those interested. Bouquets of flowers, jewelry, chocolates and refined sweets , anything goes to make the eyes of those who raised us sparkle.
