Mother’s Day is annually observed on March 3 in Georgia. Norway was the first country to celebrate Mother’s Day on March 3, and Georgia was the second, although Norway celebrates Mother’s Day on different dates each year. It was declared by the first President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, as a replacement for International Women’s Day, and was officially approved by the Supreme Council in 1991. Currently, Georgia observes Mother’s Day on March 3 and International Women’s Day on March 8.
On this day, we honour mothers, expectant mothers, maternal bonds, and the impact mothers have on the family and society.
The background of Mothers’ Day in Georgia
Possibly, the tradition of a day to honour mothers dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held celebrations to honour Rhea and Cybele, the respective gods’ mothers in each culture. Early Christians also observed “Mothering Sunday” on the fourth Sunday of Lent as a mother’s festival to honour the Virgin Mary, Christ’s mother. Over time, this celebration evolved into a secular occasion where children gave their mothers flowers and other gifts.
Anna Jarvis held the first Mother’s Day worship service at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, United States, in 1907. Julia Ward Howe issued a Mother’s Day Proclamation in 1870, forty years before it became an official holiday, in which she urged mothers of all nationalities to promote the “amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.” In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, as a national holiday to honour mothers.
By the early 1920s, Hallmark Cards and other companies had begun selling Mother’s Day cards, but Jarvis believed that these businesses had misinterpreted and exploited the holiday. After companies popularised it in the United States, other countries and cultures, including Georgia, adopted it. In some nations, the holiday is associated with different religious, historical, or legendary events and is celebrated on different dates.
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MOTHERS’ DAY IN GEORGIA ACTIVITIES
Write your mother a letter by hand.
As the occasion had become overly commercialised, Jarvis believed that people should express their love and appreciation for their mothers through handwritten letters rather than purchasing gifts and pre-made cards. Why should we not listen to her now that we know her backstory? Even if you live too far away from your mother to offer her anything, you can still give her something.
Take her to dinner
It does not have to be an upscale establishment. Simply take her to her favourite or the establishment she mentioned wanting to visit but did not have time.
Spend only time with her
If you can spend the entire day there, that is more valuable than dining out or purchasing expensive gifts. You can offer to do all of her housework so that she can relax, play games, or watch a movie with you.
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Although not universally observed, white carnations are given in memory of a mother who has passed away, whereas pink carnations honour a mother who is still alive.
When carnations became widely available, American War Mothers sold them for profit, which infuriated Jarvis, who had long opposed the commercialization of Mother’s Day.
In a survey, mothers reported that they appear in less than 45 percent of the family portraits displayed in their homes and that they would prefer more recent photographs of their immediate families.
According to “History.com,” more phone calls are made on this day than any other, and phone traffic can increase by 37 percent.
In the 1920s, France awarded medals to mothers of large families for their assistance in population rebuilding following World War I.
MOTHERS’ DAY IN GEORGIA DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2023 | March 3 | Friday |
2024 | March 3 | Sunday |
2025 | March 3 | Monday |
2026 | March 3 | Tuesday |
2027 | March 3 | Wednesday |