Sunday is Mother’s Day again – a day in honor of all mothers. But why does the day actually exist and what do Nazis have to do with it?
Germany – May 9th is Mother’s Day again. The day of honor for the mother has been established for many decades. There are many ways to thank your mother. But while some leave it with a funny WhatsApp saying for mom *, most of them turn to flowers. But why does Mother’s Day exist – and is it really a Nazi invention?
| State: | Germany |
| Capital: | Berlin |
| Surface: | 357,581 km² |
| Residents: | 83.02 million (as of 2019) |
| Chancellor: | Angela Merkel |
Why does Mother’s Day exist? The Nazis made Mother’s Day a public holiday in 1933
When the National Socialists made Mother’s Day a public holiday in 1933, they had only one goal in mind. They wanted to use the day for their ideological propaganda. Since they had given birth to the “Aryan offspring”, they deserve the greatest respect. If they had at least four children, there was even an award in the form of the mother’s cross.
But Mother’s Day was not based on love and gratitude as we know it today. Rather, the day of honor should symbolize the sense of duty that women have to muster so that their “childbearing performance” will be ensured in the future.
This is why there is Mother’s Day: Modern Mother’s Day comes from the USA
Mother’s Day as we know it today was introduced in 1907. The American Anna Marie Jarvis enjoyed a high reputation far beyond the borders of her homeland of West Virginia. After all, she had organized many charity events during the Civil War and cared for the wounded in the war. A memorial event for her late mother made such waves in the country that many took this action as a model.
Based on the women’s movement of the 1860s in the USA and England, this day was celebrated across the country in May from 1909 before it was declared an American public holiday in 1914.
Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day? Origins go back to the Middle Ages
Even if the Nazis made Mother’s Day a holiday, of course they didn’t invent it. After the worship of the mother had already played a major role in ancient Greece, King Henry III introduced “Mothering Day” in the 13th century.
In the Middle Ages it was not a customary day of honor, but the English carried on the idea of the king to this day. England celebrates Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This is the equivalent of Mother’s Day, as we know it in Germany: With an explicit day, children thank their mother for their years of love.
For a long time it was unclear to what extent it would be possible this year to visit his mother on her special day. But at least for some there is now an absolute certainty: Right on time for Mother’s Day, corona easing for vaccinated people will take effect nationwide *.
Florists benefit from Mother’s Day
In Germany, Mother’s Day has always been celebrated on the second Sunday in May since the early 1920s. In contrast to Father’s Day, which not only keeps the Bremen police on alert, Mother’s Day is not a public holiday in this country. If this regulation still applied during the times of National Socialism, it was abolished as a public holiday after the Second World War.
But the special day in May is not only a real blessing for mothers – florists who had to suffer * due to the Corona lockdown on Valentine’s Day benefit financially from Mother’s Day. With a turnover of 120 million euros, they generate around twice as much in Mother’s Day week as in a normal week.
Because one thing is clear: Even if there are a few things you should pay attention to when making a bouquet for Mother’s Day * – outrage such as a Mother’s Day present from the Netto brochure *, flowers rarely trigger. * nordbuzz.de, Kreiszeitung.de, 24hamburg.de, heidelberg24.de, tz.de and merkur.de are offers from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Robert Michael / dpa
