| Show Mothers Mother's DayIs Day Is an Ancient Rite If someone calls you ou Godde Goddess s son on May 10 take it seriously The history of human devotion devotion devotion devo devo- tion proves that youre you're a god god- dess Youve You've been worshipped for thousands of years and Mothers Mother's day with its gifts and cards of sentiment Is just the continuance of an ancient rit- rit ual Youre You're a goddess simply because because because be be- cause youre you're a woman That goes back probably to the dawn of time when man started to worship the mysterious and blessed force In nature that re renews renews renews re- re news the growing things of the earth This force was recognized as feminine it was called Mother of the Universe Great Mother of the Gods Mother The form of worship of course has changed chang d through the ages In ancient times they built temples to Mother Goddess brought offerings to her altars and showed their devotion devotion devotion de de- de- de with music and dancing Roman Holiday The Romans celebrated in her honor the festival of Hilaria and andset andset andset set aside the fifteenth of March Marchas as the day for observance V With i t h Christianity men thought no longer of Mother Goddess but of M o 0 other t the h e r Church and the Madonna In her they idealized all women all that was beautiful in motherhood motherhood motherhood moth moth- in womans woman's eternal patience patience patience pa pa- tience and suffering They offered offered offered of of- her their prayers and if they had the genius for it perpetuated their devotion in sculpture and painting American Observance Today we may go about it differently differently differently dif dif- dif dif- but underneath its it's still the same The same veneration for motherhood that inspired Mothering Sunday inspires our American Mothers Mother's day The suggestion for our observance is credited to a Miss Anna Jarvis Jarvis Jar- Jar vis who realized the universal beauty in the idea when she was asked to arrange a memorial service for her own mother She brought her experience to the attention of church people in Philadelphia and Mothers Mother's day was first celebrated in that city in 1908 The observance touched peoples people's hearts as a result of the immediate public response and the wide publicity that followed in 1914 Mothers Mother's day was made a day of official observance by joint resolution of congress congress The date of Mothers Mother's Mothers Mother's Mothers Mother's Moth Moth- ers er's day is set each year by presidential proclamation and President Roosevelt this year naming May 10 for the celebration celebration celebration tion calls upon us to express' express the love and reverence which we feel for the mothers of our country by the customary display display display dis dis- dis- dis play of the flag at our homes and other suitable places and by tokens and messages of lion hon |
