Mother's Day: 5 Commandments For A Successful Celebration.
Mothers are honored in many countries around the world on a special day dedicated to them. Mother's Day, whose origins date back to ancient times, is an opportunity to show affection by choosing a thoughtful gift. Here are 5 commandments to follow to celebrate all mothers with dignity.
1- Don't get the date wrong!
Mother's Day is celebrated in honor of mothers in many countries around the world, but on different dates. So be careful not to get it wrong, especially since the date changes every year!
In France, as well as in Mauritius and Sweden, this holiday takes place on the last Sunday of May, unless it coincides with Pentecost Sunday as was the case in 2023. It is then postponed to the first Sunday of June.
In Greece, mothers are celebrated on August 15th, the day of the Assumption, while in the United Kingdom, Mothering Day falls on the fourth Sunday after Lent.
In South Korea, Parents' Day is held on May 8th, with Koreans having the particularity of celebrating both parents on the same day.
2- Don't boycott this celebration because of its origin!
In France, Mother's Day was added to the calendar by the Vichy regime in 1941. However, it is false to say that this holiday was invented by Marshal Pétain...
Its celebration was fixed on the last Sunday of May by the law of May 24, 1950, and was integrated into the Code of Social Action and Families in 1956, as a "tribute" that the French Republic officially pays to mothers.
On this point, France only followed the example of other countries to promote childbirth between the two world wars: the English had already celebrated Mothering Sunday in the fifteenth century and revived it in 1914. As for the United States, they had established Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May as early as 1912!
The same day of celebration in honor of mothers was officially established by Germany in 1932, under the name of "Muttertag".
3- Don't skip a centuries-old tradition!
Mother's Day, widely celebrated on all continents (from Morocco to China through Lebanon) can even be considered as a tradition dating back to Antiquity.
Already in ancient Greece, a festival was organized in the Spring in honor of the goddess Rhea, the mother of Zeus, also nicknamed the "Great Mother" or the "Mother of the gods".
In Rome, a religious festival celebrated matrons (married women and mothers) on March 1st, during the Matronalia.
Choose a gift carefully!
Even if some denounce the "marketing" aspect of Mother's Day every year, it remains that mothers are generally sensitive to the attentions of their little cherubs, however small they may be...
The youngest will undoubtedly enjoy organizing a surprise with the help of their dad or their older brothers and sisters.
A flower or a bouquet always pleases, as does an invitation to a restaurant, an excellent formula for freeing one's mother from the hassle of organizing a festive meal.
As for the choice of an object or an intangible gift (subscription to a magazine, creative workshop or show ticket), it is still best to take into account one's mother's tastes in terms of beauty products, music or decoration, noting well that some objects such as electrical appliances are absolutely prohibited!
Prepare the meal!
If you're not able to take the whole family out to a restaurant, the most practical and economical solution is to organize a Mother's Day feast at home.
Moms shouldn't have to tire themselves out in the kitchen that day, so dads and kids can take over and focus on delicious and easy-to-make recipes such as:
• A stuffed grapefruit with tuna and corn.
• Sautéed shrimp with sun-dried tomatoes, to be served with a vegetable of your choice or pasta.
• An Eton mess with strawberries, as delicious as it is easy to prepare with children who will love breaking up the meringue to make verrines.
