Origins Of Mother's Day; How India Celebrates Motherhood

Mothers day as we know it today, took shape in the early 20th century in the United States. In 1908, a woman called Anna Jarvis had arranged a memorial service for her deceased mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, in West Virginia. Anna’s mother was a peace activist who attended to soldiers wounded in the Civil War and had promoted mothers' clubs to foster health and unity. To express appreciation Anna campaigned for a national day to recognize mothers, which led then U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to declare it a national holiday in 1914. Ironically Jarvis stood against the holiday’s commercialism later on.

India has traditionally celebrated motherhood with festivals such as Durga Puja, celebrating Goddess Durga as a representative of strength and maternal nurturing. Similarly, Mata Tirtha Aunsi in Nepal, which has been celebrated at about the same time as Mother's Day, consists of honoring mothers through rituals, and pilgrimages to a holy pond. These celebrations are symbolic to the region's long-standing recognition for motherhood, the same as present time Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is more than just a day or an occasion on the calendar, it's an opportunity to honor the compassionate love, courage and wisdom that mothers give us every day. The celebration serves as a reminder to honor and value every mother who unwaveringly cares for, protects, and shapes our lives, whether through traditional rituals or small gestures. Because behind every heartbeat, there is a mother who made it possible.