Mother’s Day is traditionally a beautiful Spring Sunday when we take the time to focus on Mom, taking her out for a nice brunch or dinner, giving her gifts and flowers, and letting her “take it easy” for the day. But in the over 40 foreign countries who also observe some sort of “Mother’s Day”, the traditions can be very different!
- Argentina – While “Dia de la Madre” is observed in most of South America in May, it’s celebrated the second Sunday of October in this southern-hemisphere country, most likely so it coincides with the traditional springtime ‘motherhood’ festivities. Argentinian mothers are lavished with dinners, cards poems written in school by the children, and a day of their husbands cleaning, cooking and looking after the family.
- Japan – “Haha no hi” was very popular by the 1930′s in Japan, but was banned during World War II, along with most every western custom. In about 1949 that the celebration started again, mostly to comfort those who had lost their sons in the War. Children entered drawings of their mothers into a contest. Today, Mother’s Day is held the second Sunday of May, with children giving their moms red carnations, scarves, handbags and handkerchiefs, and making traditional dishes their mothers taught them to cook.
- Yugoslavia – Mother’s Day here is tied to a three-day series of holidays for the whole family. Children’s Day (Dechiyi Dan) is the first, three days before Christmas. The Sunday after this holiday is Mother’s Day (Materitse) and the Sunday following that is Father’s Day (Ochichi). While these sound like sweet holidays, on each day the “honoree” is bound until they provide something; the children must promise to be good, the mother must give the family treats and candy, and the father much promise more lavish gifts and clothing that are usually the family’s Christmas gifts.
- France – With the birthrate at an alarmingly low rate in the late 1800s and early 1900s, France implemented La Fete de Meres on December 19, 1920. Medals were awarded to mothers of large families, with the coveted gold medal going to those with 8 or more children! Inspired by American soldiers in World War II and their immense outpouring of love – and letters! – for their Mother’s Day, the government established the National Day of Mothers on May 25, 1945. Today, traditional gifts include flower-shaped cakes, candies, perfumes, cards and flowers.
However you choose to honor your mother, let Boesen the Florist be part of your Mother’s Day celebrations!
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