Mother’s day has its roots dating back to Ancient Greece and Rome, or sometimes from the Roman Matrolina Festival. This Roman festival is said to have evolved from the Greeks observing Cybele. The factor that is synonymous to both is the heavenly mother. Both of these festivals were meant to please the mother of all Gods and at times they indulged in gifting the earthly mother as well. The modern day observation of Mother’s Day began with the importation of Mothering Sunday from the U.K and Ireland to the United States. It was this idea that was picked up on and adapted by activist Julie Ward Howe, herself drawing inspiration from the work of one Ms.Ann Jarvis, Ms.Jarvis’ daughter. Anna Jarvis’s efforts led to President Woodrow Wilson declaring the first Mother's Day national holiday in the United States in 1914. Mother’s day began to be celebrated all over the world hence forth. Though it is been celebrated all over it is celebrated in different ways at different places. In the following article, you can see how the Japanese celebrate their Mother’s Day.
How Mother’s Day Is Celebrated In Japan
Mother’s day or ‘haha no hi’ is celebrated with great pomp and gaiety in Japan. The word haha no hi is derived from the word hahaoya which means mother in Japanese. In Japan Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May like that is celebrated across the globe. But the history of Mother’s day in Japan dates back to the Showa period when Mother’s Day commemorated the birthday of Empress Kojun (mother of Emperor Akihito). But in the modern Japan the tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day started in the year 1913 when Christians began celebrating Mother’s day there and by 1930’s the Japanese started celebrating the day in large gatherings. But during the Second World War when western customs were completely prohibited in Japan, the tradition of celebrating the Mother’s Day came to a halt.
It was after the World War ended that the custom of celebrating haha no hi got revived and from then on it has been celebrated without fail. Nowadays it is a marketed holiday, and people typically give flowers such as carnations and roses as gifts. Other than holding public gatherings and special prayers, it is celebrated as a festival there. It has become an important date on the family calendar that it is considered one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants and all major shopping hubs. Above all, you see a shooting up of prices of flowers as flowers get a lot of prominence on a Mother’s day.
In Japan, carnations are considered the most popular gifts. Carnations are considered as a symbol of mothers because of their sweetness, purity, and endurance. During mother’s day, the Japanese shower their love for their mother in the form of beautiful carnations. On this day, you can find every super market filled with a lot of colorful flowers, all over Japan. Japanese kids often make cute crafts or draw pictures for their mothers on mother’s day.
Mother's Day Date Japan:
2010 - May 09
2011 - May 08
2012 - May 13
2013 - May 12
2014 - May 11
