Mother’s Day in Hungary is the first Sunday of May
History of the modern Mother’s Day
Around the world, many cultures have celebrations for mothers and motherhood. The Mother’s Day well known in many countries of the western world, however, is quite a recent development, and it originates in the U.S.
The story starts with social activist and community organizer Anne Maria Reeves Jarvis (1832 – 1905), and social activist and author Julia Ward Howe (1819 – 1910). After the Civil War, Howe wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation asking for women around the world to join for peace. Jarvis started Mother’s Day Work Clubs in several towns of West Virgina to improve health and sanitary conditions. Among other things, the clubs raised money to buy medicine and hire help for families where the mother was sick, educated households about sanitation, and even developed programs to inspect milk long before that was officially required.
After Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter, Anna Maria Jarvis (1864 – 1948) wanted to commemorate her mother’s life work as well as the contributions of mothers, and campaigned to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. She was not successful in this, but she organized a commemoration in 1908 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which became the first Mother’s Day celebration (the Church is now referred to as the International Mother’s Day Shrine). Jarvis sent 500 white carnations for all who attended the service, as a result of which white carnations are now often considered traditional Mother’s Day flowers in the U.S.
In 1914, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother’s Day as a national holiday (although not a bank holiday) to honor mothers, to be held on the second Sunday in May. The new holiday was quickly commercialized, promoted especially by florists, card makers, and candymakers. In anger and desperation about this, Jarvis started to organize protests and boycotts, but by then the holiday had been well established.
On the British Isles, Constance Adelaide Smith (1878 – 1938) was inspired by Jarvis, and in the 1910s she started to advocate for the reinvigoration of Mothering Sunday, an already existing Christian celebration on the 4th Sunday of Lent. On this day, people honor their mother as well as their “mother church”, the church in which they were baptized. On the British Isles and in some Commonwealth countries, this day became established to celebrate mothers.
In Hungary, Mother’s Day was first introduced by Mrs. Pál Petri, wife to a politician responsible for public education. The first celebration was organized with the children of the workers at the machine factory of MÁV (Hungarian Railways) on March 8, 1925. Soon after, the Hungarian Red Cross Youth organized its own events in May related to the celebration of Holy Mary, and in its magazine it urged teachers to promote Mother’s Day among their students. In 1928, a ministerial decree was issued to establish Mother’s Day as a holiday (although not a bank holiday) on the first Sunday of May, and it is celebrated on that day ever since.
How to celebrate Mother’s Day in Hungary
We celebrate mothers on the first Sunday of May. Both adult and minor children give their mothers flowers, chocolate, and cards, and they often wish them a happy day by reciting a poem or singing a song (which is a lot less awkward if you don’t do it alone but with your siblings). The main thing is to spend time with your mother and make sure she feels appreciated.
In kindergarten and primary school (sometimes even in middle school), children often put on a show on the last school day before Mother’s Day, singing songs and reciting poems celebrating their mothers. The show is usually produced not by the school but by each class separately, so every student (and every mother) can feel included. Hand-made greeting cards and paper flowers might also be involved in the process.
The staple flower of the Mother’s Day celebrations in Hungary is the lilac (called “orgona” in Hungarian, pictured above). Of course, other types of flowers are accepted too, including the carnations popular in the U.S, or sometimes tulips. Since flowers often have special meanings, make sure to consult your florist about which flowers you should (or shouldn’t) include in a bouquet for your mother.
While the day is supposed to let children thank and celebrate their mothers, the term is not applied too strictly. Adult children often visit or at least call their mothers on this day, while husbands can also join their children in celebrating the mother (especially if the children are small). Grandmothers and mothers-in-law may also be included, as well as other female relatives, teachers, or mentors, if they have a close connection and they played an important role in one’s upbringing or advancement.
Happy Mother’s Day
If you live in Hungary, make sure to visit your mom or at least call her on the first Sunday of May. If you are not Hungarian, or if you have Hungarian ancestry but don’t live in Hungary, the Hungarian Mother’s Day is still a great opportunity to visit your mother and have a nice chat about your family traditions.
Are you interested in discovering your Hungarian roots? Let us know, and talk to one of our experts about obtaining Hungarian citizenship.
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