Mother’s Day is around the corner and in most of the BRIC countries, preparations are in full swing as they anxiously wait for May 10.
While Russia celebrates Mother’s day in November, Brazil, India and China observe it on the second Sunday of May.
Even if we celebrate every day as mother’s day we can never thank our mothers enough for the selfless love and care they shower on us. But often we take our mothers for granted. So this is the time of the year to honour and acknowledge the most precious gift of god, our mothers.
Originating in the United States, Mother’s Day celebrations have spread across the globe most recently rising in popularity in Brazil, India and China.
Brazilian Mother’s Day
Known as Dia das Mães, it is regarded as the second largest gifting holiday in Brazil, and follows Christmas. It generally involves giving gifts to one’s mother, with spending per person estimated to be nearly £112. Small family get-togethers are also quite popular where members of the family may gather for a brunch or lunch.
Mother’s Day came to Brazil in 1918 with the effort of Associação Cristã de Moços de Porto Alegre (Young Men’s Christian Association of Porto Alegre). Later in 1932, then President Getúlio Vargas declared the second Sunday of May as the official date for Mother’s Day.
Flowers are widely given to show appreciation of one’s mother and grandmother.
Indian Mother’s Day
The traditional Hindu scriptures call for everyday to be observed as mother’s day, as most religious texts place the Mother as above God.
Like in China, the concept of a mother’s day celebration is also new in India. However, this American festival has in the recent years made its presence felt in India, especially in the urban centres.
Restaurants and shopping malls host women oriented programmes and offer discounts. Cards, flowers, and gifts form a part of the celebrations. However, this has drawn criticism from some orthodox Hindus who see it as an attempt by the Western world to spread consumerism.
“Mother’s day in India has evolved into a commercialized idea – mostly involving the exchange of gifts and other material offers,” agrees Shruti Sucharita, a student from India.
“Some people understand the significance, some follow it as part of a herding attitude (follow the crowd), due to which its relevance still remains ambiguous,” she adds.
Chinese Mother’s Day
The Mother’s Day celebration is fairly new in China and is regarded as a western concept. However, due to its strong semblance with the traditional Chinese ethics that is “respect for the elderly and filial piety towards parents”, Mothers Day is becoming popular in China.
Although it still remains an unofficial festival, many leaders have advocated for the official adoption of Mother’s Day. The most vocal supporter was the Communist Party member Li Hanqiu. He wanted the day to be celebrated in the memory of Meng Mu, mother of the great Chinese philosopher Mèng Zǐ. She is held as an exemplary female figure in Chinese culture.
Mother’s Day was first initiated in China in an attempt to acknowledge the contribution of mothers in the poor rural areas. Mothers are regarded as the pillars of the family who kept the members united and safe through wars, poverty and disease.
“Traditional Chinese culture appreciated a taciturn and even laconic comportment in its educated youths. Family members usually refrained from articulate expression of love, no matter how much they care for each other,” says Li Ying, a Chinese student in London.
“In essence, the Chinese culture denounces the idea of singling out a specific day to highlight the need to honour mothers’ irreplaceable contributions in sustaining families. But China’s younger generation is more than happy to seize this opportunity to speak out loud their love with greeting cards, carnations, cakes and other fancy presents,” he adds.
No matter how different cultures celebrate Mother’s Day, the essential essence of this festival remains the same everywhere.
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