Origin of Mother’s Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother’s Day history can also be traced in UK where a Mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in US. However, the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old.

　　母亲节的起源可以追溯到古希腊和古罗马时代。但是母亲节的历史也可以追溯到英国——早在美国人庆祝母亲节之前，英国就有一个名为“拜望双亲日(Mothering Sunday)”的节日。然而，现今对母亲节的庆祝历史并不长，不超过100年。

　　Thanks to the hard work of the pioneering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis, the day came into existence. Today the festival of Mothers’ day is celebrated across 46 countries (though on different dates) and is a hugely popular affair. Millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well wisher.

　　由于那个时代女性先驱们(例如茱莉亚.沃德.豪和安娜.贾维斯等)的艰苦付出，母亲们终于有了自己的节日。今天全世界46个国家都会庆祝母亲节(尽管日期可能不同)，而这个节日也已经成为了一个非常受欢迎的事件。全球数百万人都会在这一天向他们的母亲表达敬意、感谢她们生养自己、给与自己一贯的支持和祝福。

　　Earliest History of Mothers’ Day

　　一、母亲节最早的历史。

　　The earliest history of Mothers’ Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology.

　　母亲节最早的历史可以追溯到古希腊人每年春天献祭母性女神的节日。希腊人在这一天来纪念生育女生瑞亚——在古希腊神话中她是克罗瑞斯的妻子、以及希腊众神之母。

　　Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

　　古罗马同样也庆祝“春节”，称之为希莱丽娅奉献西布莉(古代小亚细亚人崇拜的自然女神，与希腊女神Rhea等同)的节日。值得注意的是，基督诞生250年前就有了纪念西布莉的仪式。庆祝活动通常在三月十五日举行、持续三天，会在西布莉的神庙里摆设祭品，并举行游行、游戏和化装舞会等。但是这个庆祝活动的名声很不好，以至于西布莉的信徒都被逐出了罗马。

　　Early Christians celebrated a Mother’s Day of sorts during the festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers. It was then called Mothering Sunday.

　　早期基督徒会在四月斋的第四个星期日举行某种类似母亲节的庆祝活动，目的是为了纪念耶稣的母亲圣母玛利亚。而在英国，这个节日纪念的所有的母亲，随后被称之为“拜望双亲日”

　　History of Mother’s Day: Mothering Sunday

　　二、母亲节历史：拜望双亲日。

　　The more recent history of Mothers’ Day dates back to 1600s in England. Here a Mothering Sunday was celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) to honor mothers. After a prayer service in church to honor Virgin Mary, children brought gifts and flowers to pay tribute to their own mothers.

　　母亲节更近一些的历史要追溯到17世纪的英国。在这里，每年四月斋(复活节前的40天)的第四个星期日都是“拜望双亲日”，人们会在这一天纪念母亲。在教堂举行完纪念圣母玛利亚的礼拜仪式之后，孩子们会带上礼物和鲜花献给自己的母亲。

　　On the occasion, servants, apprentices and other employees staying away from their homes were encouraged by their employers to visit their mothers and honor them. Traditionally children brought with them gifts and a special fruit cake or fruit-filled pastry called a simnel. Yugoslavs and people in other nations have observed similar days.

　　在这一天，离家在外的仆人、学徒和其他雇员们都受到雇主的鼓励回家探望母亲。传统上，孩子们会带给母亲礼物、以及一个特别的水果蛋糕(或者一块重油水果蛋糕)。南斯拉夫和其他国家的人民都有类似的节日。

　　Custom of celebrating Mothering Sunday died out almost completely by the 19th century. However, the day came to be celebrated again after World War II, when American servicemen brought the custom and commercial enterprises used it as an occasion for sales.

　　然而19世纪时，庆祝拜望双亲日的习俗几乎完全消失了。但是二战之后人们又重新开始庆祝这个节日，当时美国士兵把这个节日习俗带回了美国，而企业也将其作为销售的机会大加推动。

　　History of Mother’s Day: Anna Jarvis

　　三、母亲节历史：安娜.贾维斯。

　　Anna Jarvis is recognised as the Founder of Mothers’ Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers’ Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers.

　　安娜.贾维斯被美国人视为“母亲节之母”。尽管她从未结过婚、也从未有过孩子，但她还是被称之为“母亲节之母”——这是对一位努力为所有母亲争取荣誉的女性的恰当称谓。

　　To begin with Anna, people send Carnations in the church service in Grafton, West Virginia to honor her mother. Carnations were her mothers’ favorite flower and Anna felt that they symbolized a mother’s pure love. Later Anna along with her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power lobbying for the official declaration of Mothers’ Day holiday. The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

　　从安娜开始，人们在西弗吉尼亚的格拉夫顿教堂里献上康乃馨来纪念自己的母亲。康乃馨是安娜母亲最喜爱的花，而安娜也觉得这种花象征着母亲纯洁的爱。后来安娜及其支持者给当时的当政者写了信，游说政府将母亲节定位节日。1911年这项艰苦的工作终于有了回报，美国几乎每个州都会庆祝母亲节。而在1914年5月8日，时任总统伍德罗.威尔逊签署了一项联合决议，宣布5月第二个星期日为母亲节。

（编辑：何莹莹）