母亲节在我国是地区性节日,最早是在港澳台地区有此节日。改革开放后,母亲节也为内地所接受。
母亲节的由来
节日起源于古希腊。在这一天,古希腊人向希腊众神之母希布莉(Cybele,宙斯、波塞冬、哈德斯、得墨忒耳、赫拉和赫斯提亚的母亲,故称众神之母)致敬。到古罗马时,这些活动的规模就变得更大,庆祝盛况往往持续达三天之久。当然,古时人们对女神的崇拜只不过是一种迷信,它同今天人们对母性的尊敬是大不相同的。在17世纪中叶,母亲节流传到英国,英国人把封斋期的第四个星期天作为母亲节。在这一天里,出门在外的年轻人将回到家中,给他们的母亲带上一些小礼物。
2006年11月13日,全国政协委员李汉秋就曾以《创设中国母亲节》为题,提出设立中国人自己的母亲节,并提出孟母可作为中国母亲节的形象代表。2006年12月,中国民协节徽文化委员会、邹城市委市政府、北京东方道德研究所、石家庄市中小学生校外综合实践活动基地等4家“母亲节”核心发起单位正式成立“中华母亲节促进会”,确定将农历的四月初二,也就是孟母生孟子这一天定为中华母亲节,并决定在首届中华母亲节到来之际举行一系列庆祝活动。
现在世界流行的母亲节是5月的第二个星期日,是美国最先设立的。
母亲节的由来(英文)
The second Sunday in May has been set aside in honor of motherhood. Many churches have special services in which they honor Mothers of the congregation. They usually present the oldest Mom, youngest Mom, and Mom with the most children a corsage.There is a custom of wearing a carnation on Mother's Day. A colored carnation means that the person's Mother is living. A white carnation indicates that a person's mom is dead.Years ago, England observed what they called Mothering Sunday. It came in Mid-Lent.The first suggestion for a day set aside to honor Mothers was made by Julia Ward Howe. She suggested that it be observed on June 2, as a day dedicated to peace.Julia was born in 1819 in New York to a prominent family. She was an American writer, lecturer, and reformer. She was known as one of the most famous women of her time. She wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", which was inspired when she visited military camps in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War in 1861. It became the major war song of the Union forces.Julia became interested in the women's movement. She became the first president of the New England Woman Sufferage Association.Three years after Frank Hering of Indiana launched his campagin for observance of Mother's Day in 1904, Anna Jarvis began a campaign to a nationwide obervance of Mother's Day. She chose the second Sunday in May. She also began the custom of wearing the carnation.Jarvis' own Mother was honored on the first service at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton,West Virginia, on May 10, 1908. Later, at the general assembly in 1912, a delegate from Andrews Church introduced a resolution recognizing Jarvis as the founder of Mother's Day, and suggested that Mother's Day be observed on the second Sunday in May.President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution in Congress on May 9, 1914, recommending that the federal government observe Mother's day. The next year, the president was authorized to proclaim an annual holiday.
母亲节在英国
在十七世纪英格兰,为表达对英国母亲们的敬意,乃订四旬斋的第四个星期日为「Mothering Sunday」,人们在这一天回家探视双亲,并致礼表示敬意。(注:四旬斋是指复活节前夕之前,星期天除外的40天)。
当时,有许多的穷人必须在有钱人家里帮讨生活,而被迫离家寄宿在主人家里,在Mothering Sunday这一天,主人们会放他们假,并鼓励他们返家与妈妈团聚。为增加欢乐气氛,也发展了一种特别的蛋糕称为-mothering cake。
随着基督神在欧洲的扩散,这个节日转为对「Mother Church」的崇敬:表达人们对赋予他们生命、保护他们免於伤害的精神力量的感谢。从此,教会的仪式便与母亲节的庆祝活动相结合,以同时传达人们对母亲与教会的感念。
母亲节在美国
在美国,最早关於母亲节的记载是1872年由茱丽雅(Julia Ward Howe即The Battle Hymn of the Republic的作者)所提出的,她建议将这一天献给「和平」,并在波斯顿等地举行母亲节的集会。
1907年,费城的安娜· 贾维斯(Ana Jarvis)为了发起订立全国性的母亲节而活动。贾维斯夫人是一个有着10个子女的母亲,是当时美国格拉夫顿城教会主日学校的总监。在美国以解放黑奴为目的的南北战争结束后,她在学校里负责讲述美国国殇纪念日的课程。贾维斯是一位心地善良,极富同情心的女人。她讲述着战争中那一个个为正义捐躯的英雄的故事,望着台下那一张张充满稚气的孩子们的脸,一个想法猛然涌上心头:为祖国贡献了这么多英勇战士,保证了战争胜利的,不就是那一个个含辛茹苦地抚育着子女的母亲们吗?她们的儿子血染疆场,承受了最大的痛苦和牺牲的,不也是这些默默无闻的'母亲吗?因此,她提出应该设立一个纪念日或母亲节,给这些平凡的女人一些慰藉,表达儿女们对母亲的孝思。可惜的是,这个良好的愿望还没有实现,贾维斯夫人便与世长辞了。她的女儿安娜·贾维斯目睹母亲抚养自己和兄弟姐妹成人的辛劳,深感母亲的提议是适合天理人心的。因此,她写出了几十封信,发给美国国会。地方州长和妇女组织等,提议创立母亲节。在她的一再呼吁下,这一提议得到了社会上的广泛响应和支持。
1914年,美国总统威尔逊郑重宣布,把每年5月的第二个星期天,也就是贾维斯夫人的忌日,定为母亲节。美国政府还规定,母亲节这天,家家户户都要悬挂国旗,以表示对母亲的尊敬。由于贾维斯夫人生前喜爱康乃馨花,这种花也就成了母亲节的象征。
母亲节是个充满人间温情的节日,这一天,家里的男成员要把全部家务活都包下来,儿女们每人都要做一件让母亲高兴的事,以尽孝道。即使远在异地的孩子,也要打电话向母亲表示祝贺。这一天,美国人民都要在胸前佩上一朵花。母亲健在的,戴一朵有色的花,表示欢愉;母亲逝世的,戴一朵白花,表达哀思。
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