Mothers Day – Origin Fête des Mères
Mothers Day, Fête des Mères in French, is not a recently invented holiday.
It does indeed draw its origins from Greek mythology, when Rhea, Mother of all Gods and Goddesses, was honoured in the spring.
The Romans adopted this celebration, thus perpetuating the tradition. The cult of Cybele, Mother of all the Roman Gods, persisted until the 4th century AD.
Pagan beliefs then gave way to Christianity, and the custom fell into disuse until 1806. Emperor Napoleon I indeed attempted to establish an official date to honour motherhood, but alas, his initiative failed!
French Mothers Day initiated in 1916
In 1906, Prosper Roche, a resident of the town of Artas in the department of Isère, founded the Union Fraternelle (Fraternal Union). The purpose of this association was to honour the parents of large families. Artas has since been recognised as the birthplace of Mother’s Day!
In 1918, the city of Lyon established Mother’s Day in homage to women who had lost loved ones during the First World War. A few years later, Mothers Day was extended to mothers of large families, to encourage women to have children and contribute to the ‘re-population’ of France after the First World War. These women were also presented with the Médailles de la Famille Française (French Family Medal) as a “reward”!
French Mothers Day officially decreed by law in 1950
Mothers Day was officially recognised in 1929, but fell into oblivion again until 1941. Marshal Pétain revived it during World War II, once again to stimulate population growth! The concept of family and the role of the housewife became central to French society in the years that followed.
However, many women saw it as a sexist concept that hindered their emancipation. They felt that politicians were ignoring their contribution to the war effort, particularly their work in factories and their role as pioneers on the front lines. These women had demonstrated their equality with men, only to be relegated to the role of reproducer!
But it was not until May 24, 1950 that tempers cooled and the festival was institutionalised under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and fixed for the last Sunday of May. This celebration was subsequently codified by 3 articles, the last of which took effect in 2004.
That said, if Pentecost falls on the same Sunday, Mothers Day is postponed to the first Sunday in June.
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