You can track down the time of celebrating mother’s day as early as the time of Greeks, when they used to honor Rhea, Zeus’ mother. Today mother’s day is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the world. But you can find Mother’s Day falling on different days across the world. England has a history of celebrating Mother’s Day from as early as the 13th century and is celebrated as Mothering Sunday, which falls on the fourth Sunday in the Lent season and is usually celebrated in the month of March or early April. Earlier for mothering Sundays, servants were allowed to go home to spend some time with their mother and gift them with a ‘mothering cake’ which was to be kept until Easter. Similarly in Argentina, mother’s day is celebrated with the arrival of spring which happens in October. They consider women as spring since they bring new lives into the world and therefore it is celebrated on the second Sunday of October. In Spain and Portugal it is celebrated on May 8th and in Norway mother’s Day falls on February 11. Here given are some traditions and customs on Mother’s Day celebration in Germany.
How Is Mother’s Day Celebrated In Germany
German poet and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said"Von Vater hab ich die Statur, des Lebens ernstes Führen, von Mütterchen die Frohnatur und Lust zu fabulieren."
"Of father, I have the statue, life serious leading, of mother the happy nature and desire to fabulieren".
In the middle ages, there was a Sunday in Thuringia (one of 16 federal areas of Germany) when relatives used to visit and congratulate each other with a new come spring. Spring was associated with the beginning of life, and women gave to humankind that life. Nobody worked, everybody went to parents' place, and mothers were blessed by natives on that day.
Germany celebrates its mother’s day on the second Sunday of May as it is celebrated in most of the countries. Germany observed its first mother’s day or ‘Muttertag’ as it is called in German, in the year 1922. But it was declared an official German holiday in 1933 on the second Sunday of May. Mother’s day earned a lot of significance as part of the Nazi motherhood cult under the Hitler regime. There was a tradition of giving away medals—das Mutterkreuz—in bronze, silver, and gold, awarded to mothers who produced children for the Vaterland or Father’s land. The medal was nicknamed "Karnickelorden," the "Order of the Rabbit." After World War II the German holiday became a more unofficial one that took on the cards-and-flowers elements of the U.S. mother's day. In Germany, if Mother's Day happens to fall on Pfingstsonntag (Pentecost), the holiday is moved to the first Sunday in May. So it is often said that the idea of celebrating modern Mother’s Day came to Germany from America in the beginning of the 20th century.
Mother's Day in Germany is celebrated with great pomp and gaiety. It is a holiday to express love and gratitude to mothers and make them feel special. People congratulate and thank their mothers for everything they do, say good wishes, and give them flowers and presents. Today many German children compliment their moms with mother’s day cards and e-cards. They also give their mothers small souvenirs, pleasant presents and unexpected surprises. But as you know the main gift for any mom is children's attention. On mother's day German families try to be together, especially for a wonderful meal.
Mother's Day Date Germany:
2010 - May 09
2011 - May 08
2012 - May 13
2013 - May 12
2014 - May 11
