{"id":9733,"date":"2014-05-11T10:14:28","date_gmt":"2014-05-11T02:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=9733"},"modified":"2014-05-11T10:14:28","modified_gmt":"2014-05-11T02:14:28","slug":"honored-in-every-way-celebrating-mothers-day-in-multicultural-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/05\/11\/honored-in-every-way-celebrating-mothers-day-in-multicultural-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Honored in Every Way: Celebrating Mother\u2019s Day in Multicultural Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ShutterStock image<\/em><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

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People in Canada are blessed to have the privilege of celebrating occasions in a country that embraces different cultures and traditions.<\/p>\n

As with most countries, Mother\u2019s Day is a big deal in Canada. But how do different communities celebrate mom\u2019s day now that they\u2019ve moved to the Great White North?<\/p>\n

Here are just some of the ways that various nations honor their moms on this special day.<\/p>\n

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Canada\u2019s Mother’s Day cookie cake<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every second Sunday of May, Canadians celebrate mother\u2019s day by giving gifts and simple family gatherings in honor of mothers, grandmothers, and other motherly figures in the family.<\/p>\n

According to Wikipedia, \u201ca Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois tradition is for Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois men to offer roses or other flowers to the women.\u201d<\/p>\n

And based on further research, a cookie cake is one of the most popular mother\u2019s day gifts. Now that is yummy, mommy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

China and Carnations<\/strong><\/p>\n

In China, mothers are honored by giving them carnations.<\/p>\n

In fact, more flowers are sold in China on mother\u2019s day compared to any other occasions in the republic.<\/p>\n

Originally, mother\u2019s day was celebrated to commemorate the poor mothers in the countryside and remind people to extend their help.<\/p>\n

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India\u2019s Matr Dinam<\/strong><\/p>\n

A simple Google search showed that \u201cin India, mothers are considered as god to their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day is called \u092e\u093e\u0924\u0943\u0926\u093f\u0928\u092e\u094d or mat\u1e5b dinam in Sanskrit. Wikipedia expounds that in \u201cHindu tradition, mothers are paid homage to on Saraswati pooja day during Devi Navratri, with \u2018Maatri Pooja\u2019 (worship of mother).\u201d<\/p>\n

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Indonesia\u2019s Hari Ibu<\/strong><\/p>\n

Indonesians call mother\u2019s day \u201cHari Ibu\u201d and it is celebrated every December 22nd thanks to President Soekarno and the Presidential Decree No. 316 in 1953.<\/p>\n

The presidential decree was passed to \u201ccelebrate the spirit of Indonesian women and to improve the condition of the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like in other countries, Indonesians honor their mothers by giving flowers and gifts. Some families also hold surprise parties, special home-cooked meals, the wearing of kebaya, and even competitions within family and friends.<\/p>\n

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Henrietta Szold of Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Wikipedia, \u201cthe Jewish population celebrates Mother’s Day on\u00a0Shevat<\/a>\u00a030 of the Jewish calendar, which falls between 30 January and 1 March,\u201d which is the same date of Henrietta Szold\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Szold, despite not having children of her own, gave refuge to many Jewish children and saved them from Nazi Germany. She fought for children\u2019s rights and for that she was considered their mother.<\/p>\n

Today, Jews remember Szold (\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd \u05d4\u05e9\u05e0\u05d4) on the same day as mother\u2019s day (\u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dd, yom ha’em), which is also called Family Day or yom hamishpacha (\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05bc\u05e4\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7\u05b8\u05d4).<\/p>\n

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Japan\u2019s Haha No Hi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Japan\u2019s word for \u201chappy\u201d (especially for occasions) is \u201comedatou,\u201d as in \u201co-tanjoubi omedatou\u201d is \u201chappy birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, for mother\u2019s day, our Japanese friends call it \u201chaha no hi.\u201d Perhaps they saw how fun (and funny) mothers really are.<\/p>\n

In Japan, mother\u2019s day started as the birthday of Empress Kojun on March 6, 1931. Empress Kojun is the mother of Emperor Akihito.<\/p>\n

But as Japan continued to grow, more and more Japanese households considered the second Sunday of May as mother\u2019s day. Flowers are a big deal on mother\u2019s day, particularly red roses and carnations.<\/p>\n

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Dia de la Madre in Spain<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spanish moms are honored one week before most of the world\u2019s moms.<\/p>\n

In Spain, mother\u2019s day\u2014or dia de la madre\u2014is celebrated on the first Sunday of May by giving gifts and spending the day with the entire family. It is also celebrated in the month dedicated to Jesus\u2019 own mother, Virgin Mary. This belief is followed by the mainly Catholic population of Spain.<\/p>\n

Mother\u2019s day is such a big deal that school children are given several hours a day to prepare for dia de la madre weeks before the special day.<\/p>\n

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Philippines and the Ilaw ng Tahanan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Pinoys\u2019 ilaw ng tahanan or \u201clight of the household\u201d are especially honored every second Sunday of May.<\/p>\n

Filipinos are famous of their almost unbelievable intensity of filial piety and mothers are often on that filial pedestal.<\/p>\n

Pinoys usually bring their moms to malls to enjoy a special meal in a restaurant with the entire family. Moms are also taken to enjoy a day in the spa for relaxation. Most of all, they are not to do any household chores on that day. Most children are also expected to create greeting cards and small gifts to honor their mommy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whichever way you choose to celebrate mother\u2019s day, the important thing is that you spend it with the very reason you exist\u2014your mom.<\/p>\n

Happy mother\u2019s day, everyone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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