Mother’s Day is a special day to honour mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, aunties and other mother figures. It is celebrated on various days throughout the world. According to Wikipedia, more than 80 countries, including Australia, celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. Many other countries celebrate Mother’s Day at other times of the year, and some don’t celebrate it at all. Several former communist countries celebrate International Women’s Day instead while many countries celebrate both.
Mother’s Day began in Australia in the 1920s and is attributed to Mrs Janet Heyden, a resident of Leichhardt in Sydney, who began the annual tradition at the Newington State Home for Women. With the support of local schools and businesses, she arranged for gifts to be donated to the lonely mothers there ever year.
Traditionally, chrysanthemums were given to mothers for Mother’s Day as they are in season in Australia during May. Some people say this flower is given on Mother’s Day because chrysanthemum ends in ‘mum’. Special events such as the Mother’s Day Classic fun run and walk are another great way to celebrate Mother’s Day and raise funds for breast cancer research and other worthwhile causes.
Happy Mother’s Day!
