Mother's Day and Father's Day:
Mother's Day dates back to ancient cultures in Greece and Rome. In both cultures, mother goddesses (Queen of Heaven). were worshipped during the springtime with religious festivals. The ancient Greeks paid tribute to the powerful goddess Rhea, the wife of Cronus, known as the Mother of the Gods (Queen of Heaven). Similarly, evidence of a three-day Roman festival in Mid-March called Hilaria, to honor the Roman goddess Magna Mater, or Great Mother, dates back to 250 BCE.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the celebration of the "Mother Church" replaced the pagan tradition of honoring mythological goddesses. The fourth Sunday in Lent (Weeping for Tammuz), a 40-day fasting period before Easter, became known as Mothering Sunday. To show appreciation for their mothers, they often brought gifts or a "mothering cake" (Jeremiah 7:18) and over time, it began to coincide with the celebration of the Mother Church. Mother's Day always falls on the second Sun-day of May, and like so many other holidays rooted in pagan sun-worship including Father's Day which always falls on the third Sun-day of June, usually fall on the day named in honor of their most powerful god -- The Sun.
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Is Mother's Day something Christians should celebrate?
The Bible commands us to honor our mothers (and fathers), but doesn't identify a specific day to do so. The Bible neither condones nor condemns a special day for moms.
Ephesians 6:2 echoes Deuteronomy 5:16: "'Honor your father and mother' (this is the first commandment with a promise), 'that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land'" (Ephesians 6:2).
Mother's Day began as a celebration of Rhea, the mother of the Greek mythological gods, then transitioned in the 17th century to a day to honor the mother of Jesus, Mary. Eventually, all mothers were included. In the United States, Mother's Day is celebrated the second Sunday of May; in the United Kingdom, Mothering Day is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Today, many Mother's Day celebrations consist of honoring mothers with a kind message in a card, chocolate or flowers, or taking moms out to a special meal.
Some Christians wonder about celebrating Mother's Day because of its ancient pagan origins. Paul addressed a similar issue in his day. "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God" (Romans 14:5–6).
So, if you are concerned about the goodness of celebrating Mother's Day, pray and ask God for insight and wisdom (James 1:5). Do what God wants you to do. Don't do what God doesn't want you to do. If honoring your mother with a celebration on this day is good, do it. If not, don't. It's your decision to make under the guidance of God. However, watch that your conviction does not spread as pride, nor become, in your eyes, the standard for others. In Christ, we have freedom to celebrate this day, or not.
Either way, honor your mother consistently.
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Pagan Origins
Non-FictionHow come we celebrate the holidays without knowing where it came from? That is the question. But what happens when knowing the origin of the pagan holidays, people celebrate it anyway?
