28 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com BY MARY COY Praise for Parents History of Mother’s & Father’s Day THE MAKEUP OF MOTHER’S DAY A day known as Mothering Sunday actually began hundreds of years ago in medieval England. It was a homecoming of sorts, when extended families attended church services with their mothers on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. Many Brits still celebrate that day, but it has largely been replaced with the worldwide observation of Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. The American version of Mother’s Day began in the early 20th century. In 1907, a woman in Grafton, West Virginia, planned an event to publicly recognize the efforts of her own mother who strove to promote the health and well-being of women in her community. The tradition of paying tribute to all mothers soon spread throughout the country. A national holiday was officially established in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, who proclaimed it to be a day to honor that “tender, gentle army — the mothers of America.” And so began the custom of wearing a carnation to honor mothers — a pink or red flower signified a mother who was alive while a white carnation would remember a mother who was deceased. Honoring mothers has had a place throughout history. Ancient civilizations held festivals to revere the mother of their gods and goddesses. Even today, one of the most important holidays in Hindu tradition honors the goddess Durga, the mother of all that is good. A May Crowning has long been a tradition in Catholic churches in which a young child places a wreath of flowers atop a statue of the
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