Mother’s Day marks one of the most important celebrations in Brazilian culture. But have you ever stopped to think about why it is celebrated specifically on the second Sunday in May and not on any other date on the calendar?
To delve into the spirit of Mother’s Day and understand its true meaning, Alpha has prepared this article full of essential information about this special occasion. Let’s go?
After all, who created Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day as we know it today was conceived by Anna Jarvis in the United States, at the beginning of the 20th century. After losing her mother, she, a dedicated social activist, felt the need to establish this date in her memory.
However, Anna was not the pioneer of this idea. Ancient civilizations, such as the Greeks and Romans, already had their own traditions of revering mothers.
Furthermore, in the USA, a similar initiative had already taken place in the 19th century by Julia Ward Howe. She was a poet and activist at the time and proposed ‘Mother’s Day for Peace’ – Mother’s Day for Peace.
How did the day come about?
After her mother passed away on May 9, 1905, Anna Jarvis decided to create a special occasion to honor the countless sacrifices made by mothers for their children. The idea began to take shape in May 1908, with the creation of a memorial honoring her. In theory, this was the embryo of what would become Mother’s Day.
Anna committed herself to transforming this date into a permanent celebration in her country, so that we never forget our mothers. Although she took the proposal to the US Senate, it did not receive approval. However, she found support from John Wanamaker, a merchant, to organize the first official Mother’s Day celebration. The event took place at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia.
The celebration attracted thousands of people and quickly gained popularity. Anna persisted in her goal of making the date official on the national calendar, and in 1910, Mother’s Day finally received official recognition. The project took place in West Virginia, the state where her mother was most involved as an activist.
Later, in 1914, the United States Congress also recognized the importance of the date. Thus, establishing the second Sunday in May as the official occasion to celebrate the day.
When was it first celebrated in Brazil?
The first celebration of Mother’s Day in Brazil was organized by the Young Men’s Christian Association of Porto Alegre on May 12, 1918. However, it was only in 1932 that the date was officially recognized in the national calendar by President Getúlio Vargas.
With that, on May 5, 1932, Vargas signed Decree No. 21,366, transforming the second Sunday in May as the official date of Mother’s Day in the country. In short, it aims to celebrate the “feelings and virtues” of maternal love.
This moment not only received popular appeal, but also became one of the most popular and celebrated across the country. After all, it’s undeniable that Brazilians have immense love for their mothers, right?
Mother’s Day around the world
And it wasn’t just Brazil that adopted the North American celebration for this historic day. Several other countries also celebrate the date, but not everyone celebrates with us on the second Sunday in May.
Check out when Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world!
2nd Sunday of February: Norway;
1st Sunday in May: South Africa, Spain, Portugal;
2nd Sunday of May: Germany, Australia, Brazil, China, United States, Greece, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela;
May 10th: Mexico, Malaysia, Qatar;
15th May: Paraguay;
4th Sunday of Lent: England;
Last Sunday in May: France, Haiti, Sweden;
August 19th: India;
3rd Sunday of October: Argentina.
See also: Discover the professions of five famous mothers