Gift Ideas: Mother's Day

The first occurance of a day dedicated to the celebration of mothers can be traced to the ancient Greeks, who held a festival in honour of the goddess Cybele, the mother of all the Greek gods.  It was observed around the Vernal Equinox, which typically falls around the twentieth of March, and later in Rome on the Ides of March, which, depending on the year, was any date from the fifteenth to the eighteenth of March. The ancient Romans also celebrated Matronalia, dedicated to Juno, a day on which gifts were given to mothers.

In modern times the origin of Mother’s Day varies much from country to country.  In the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it falls this year on the eighteenth of March, the tradition dates back to the sixteenth century.  It is believed to be related to Mothering Sunday, a celebration which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent, when young people, given a day off from servitude, were reunited with their mothers when attending church. 

In America Mother’s Day was invented by Anna Jarvis, in memory of her mother, a pioneer in women’s charity work who founded the Mother’s Day Work Clubs, a neutral women’s organization which helped both Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.  The holiday became officially recognized in the United States in 1914.

Back in the British Isles, the modern holiday crystallized after World War II, when visiting American soldiers carried the American concept of 'Mother’s Day' overseas, though in Europe the day continued to be celebrated during Lent rather than in May as was done in the United States. Today it is celebrated in over thirty countries around the world.  We are pleased to offer this selection of lovely gifts in honour of mothers everywhere.