How the World Celebrates Mother's Day

China

Chinese family names are often formed beginning with a sign that means "mother." It's a way of honoring their moms by perpetuating their names into future generations.

Buddha honored mothers when he said, "As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man cultivate love without measure toward the whole world."

India

Hindu scriptures credit the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs, and beautiful sacred images.

Mother's Day in India is celebrated with a 10-day festival, or Durga Puja, starting early in October. The festival honors Durga, the most important Hindu goddess in India, referred to as the Divine Mother.

Argentina

This country is similar to India in that it holds its Mother's Day celebration in October, when it is spring in the southern hemisphere. Whereas India's celebration is a 10-day event, in Argentina it takes place on the second Sunday of the month with the extended family and friends participating in a birthday-like celebration that includes gifts, a cake, and often a restaurant outing.

Whatever the date or world location for a Mother's Day celebration, Anna Jarvis beautifully sums up the sentiments that accompany the occasion as mothers, worldwide, receive tokens of their children's love.

On the occasion of the memorial service for the third anniversary of her mother's death, Anna Jarvis sent a telegram she had prepared. It read:

Mother's Day is to remind us of our duty before it is too late. This day is intended that we may make new resolutions for a more active thought to our dear mothers. By words, gifts, acts of affection, and in every way possible, give her pleasure, and make her heart glad every day, and constantly keep in memory Mother's Day; when you made this resolution, lest you forget and neglect your dear mother, if absent from home write her often, tell her of a few of her noble good qualities and how you love her. A mother's love is new every day.

Happy Mother's Day!