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4:00 p.m.
Sunday March 21, 2021
Books – Sayed Metwally
March 21 is the day Arab mothers sing flowers, cards, gifts and family dinners to celebrate their love, care and sacrifice.
The origin of the celebration
The celebration of the important day of March 21 dates back to the time of the pharaohs, and according to Dr Mohamed Bakr, former director of the Egyptian Antiquities Authority, the pharaohs respected women very much and it is clear from the drawings of their temples how they celebrated women and especially mothers, according to al-Arabiya.
He added that Isis, a former pharaonic queen, was a symbol of motherhood during this time, as the ancient Egyptians made boats filled with flowers floating around Egyptian cities on this specific day of celebration, a tradition followed by the Greeks. and the Romans.
Isis was painted on a few temples in Rome which were depicted as a symbol of holiness and motherhood. Drawings on these temples showed the various ceremonies held for women and mothers in ancient Egypt, while hieroglyphics revealed how much respect women were.
The secret of the choice of the day
Bakr said other civilizations have celebrated Mother’s Day since then and become what it is today, adding that some historians believe this day was established by the Greeks, as they celebrated it in March marking the start of spring.
He continued, “Like the pharaohs, they deliberately celebrated in the spring because it was the season of blooming flowers, which symbolizes that motherhood is life.”
Idea development
According to Egyptian historians, the idea returned to the modern era in the hands of an American activist named Julia Ward in the 19th century. Ward issued the “Mother’s Day Peace Proclamation,” viewing it as a day of peace to honor mothers who have lost their children in the civil war.
At the time, the story was dismissed, but it eventually became a national holiday in the early 1900s under the leadership of activist Anna Jarvis.
And the Arab world?
While in the Arab world, Egyptian journalist Mustafa Amin reaffirmed the idea, mentioning Mother’s Day in his writings in 1943, and after 10 years he sent an official request to the government and launched a campaign for it. .
Amin was particularly interested in the matter after a woman asked to meet him in her journal, and told him how she raised her son and paid for his education until he became a doctor and bought him a house for to marry. She told him that since her marriage, her son stopped visiting her to the point that she contracted a mental illness and could not find anyone to take care of her.
Amin spoke with the Minister of Education to approve this day, and President Gamal Abdel Nasser approved it, who announced in 1956 that the official celebration of mothers will take place on March 21 and that the rest of the world Arabic will follow.
Interestingly, when Amin was arrested after being charged with espionage for the United States, the Egyptian government changed the name to Family Day, but they received several letters from Egyptian mothers opposing the decision, so this was called Mother’s Day again.
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