For many, Mother’s Day is a time to reflect and show gratitude to the women and mothers who have been mentors and caregivers who helped shape us into who we are. In honor of this special day, we’ve asked a few of our featured family moms to tell you what Mother’s Day means to them.
Although Mother’s Day as we know it has more recent roots, early celebrations can be traced back to festivals held by ancient Greeks and Romans. In ancient Greece, people honored Rhea, the wife of Cronus and mother of the gods. People from all over Greece offered Rhea food, drinks and flowers.
The Romans also celebrated a different mother of the gods named Cybele, or Magna Mater, which means Great Mother. They even dedicated a temple to her, and in March, they participated in the Festival of Hilaria and provided gifts for the goddess.
The first official Mother’s Day celebration took place in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908. This event was made possible by the financial support of John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia business owner. His backing ensured the success of this inaugural Mother’s Day, which was marked by a large gathering at a local church and a simultaneous event at one of Wanamaker’s stores. Today, the church where the celebration was held is home to the International Mother’s Day Shrine, a testament to the enduring legacy of this holiday.
Today, Mother’s Day, is a time for us to express our love and appreciation for our moms. Many of us choose to do this by purchasing or making gifts, giving our moms a much-deserved day off or plan- ning special outings such as dinner or brunch. Flowers and cards remain popular gifts, and the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that Americans spend billions of dollars on holiday purchases, including the ever-popular Mother’s Day roses.
Franca Altieri
“Earlier this year, I gave birth to our first child, Lucia, so this Mother’s Day will be extra special for me because it is the first one I will be celebrating as a mom. Lucia means “light” in Italian and she truly is the light of my life. As I reflect on the past few months, I realize that becoming
a mother has been the most challenging, but the most rewarding experience of my life. I love watching our daughter grow and am thankful for how she has made me grow as well. In a way, motherhood has made me feel empowered – like I can do anything (especially with one hand!) which is exactly how I want our daughter to feel as she faces the world.”
Ashleigh Caiazzo
“To have four healthy, beautiful children is my greatest blessing every single day. To me, Mother’s Day is not only a day to reflect on those blessings but also a day to honor and celebrate my own mother and grandmothers, whom I was very lucky to be so closely raised by. It’s the lessons and legacy of those before me that helped shape and create the mother I am today. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, mamas!”
Lauren Werner
“Being a mom is the most difficult yet most rewarding job, and on Mother’s Day, I find myself reflecting more and more on my relationship with my own mother and how much I appreciate her constant love and support. She is the first call I make after I drop the kids off to school, the one I ask 100 questions to a day, and she is the one person I know I can count on whenever I need help. Now that I have children of my own, I understand all of the sacrifices she has made for me because I would make all of the same sacrifices for my own children without blinking an eye. Watching my children grow over the years and getting to experience things with them for the first time and seeing the joy in their eyes is hands down the best gift I could ever be given.”
Let’s face it: We owe a lot to our moms, and Mother’s Day is the perfect day of the year to show her how much you appreciate her and how much you care. A pampered mom is a happy mom — trust us!