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 occurred 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 planning 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. Just be sure that you shop local this Mother’s Day and support our hometown Sponsors!
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors checked in with two local moms who were happy to share their thoughts on what Mother’s Day means to them.
Erin Domzalski
“This Mother’s Day feels different; it’s the first time I’m not just celebrating someone else, I’m actually living it. Becoming a mom to the happiest little girl has been amazing, exhausting, overwhelming and beautiful all at once. I’m still figuring it out day by day. Some days I feel confident, others I’m winging it and hoping for the best. But through all of it, there’s this deep love that I didn’t fully understand until now. Watching Kerry Ann experience the world and seeing her grow makes every day better than the last.”
Katie McDermott
“Mother’s Day is a day to honor the sacrifices, unconditional love and every little detail of our ultimate caretakers. It is a cherished day of the year for our family to take time to be together and hopefully enjoy an outdoor activity. Mother’s Day is much more than our immediate mothers and grandmothers but also a day to show appreciation for the village of moms who lend a hand and look out for one another and all of the children that surround us. It’s intended to be a day where Mom does nothing and is pampered, but while we know we can get close, that day will never exist, which is the magic of moms!”
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!