Mother’s Day 2023
Where does Mother’s Day actually come from? Did the National Socialists really invent it?
Mother’s Day is also an established institution in Germany, but it doesn’t come from here
© Imago Images
German florists promoted Mother’s Day, but it’s not a Nazi invention. The roots of Mother’s Day go back much further.
Contrary to popular belief, Mother’s Day is not a Nazi invention. Although they used it (like many other things) for their ideological propaganda by honoring the prolific Aryan woman in May, the roots of the day go back to medieval England. King Henry III introduced “Mothering Day” there in the 13th century.
When is Mother’s Day?
After the tradition had been dormant for centuries, it was revived in the USA in the early 20th century on the initiative of the American Anna Jarvis. From there, the day made it back across the Atlantic to Europe and eventually became a permanent fixture in Germany too. In this country, Mother’s Day always falls on the second Sunday in May. By the way, it’s not a holiday – to clear up a second rumor.
A detailed history can be found in the infographic below, a brief outline here:
- 1907: On the second Sunday in May, the American Anna Jarvis invites friends to her house to commemorate her mother, who died two years earlier. She came up with the idea of establishing a day of honor for all mothers.
- 1908 “Mother’s Day” is celebrated for the first time with a church service.
- 1914: US President Wilson declares Mother’s Day a public holiday and sets the date as the second Sunday in May.
- 1922: During the Weimar Republic, the “Association of German Flower Shop Owners” propagated Mother’s Day.
- 1923: Mother’s Day is introduced in the German Reich.
- 1933: The National Socialists make the day a public holiday. They use it for their ideology.
- 1949: Mother’s Day is no longer a public holiday in Germany. In the Federal Republic, however, it is committed again. In the GDR, International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th.
The star-Infographic from the See and Understand series explains where Mother’s Day came from and how it evolved.
©stern Infographic
Fun facts for Mother’s Day
In the Mother’s Day week, German florists turn over about twice as much as in a normal week: 120 million euros.
For the majority of Germans, anyone who still has a mother gives her something for her special day. It’s mostly flowers.
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