Mother's Day in Germany
Origin and History of Mother's Day in Germany
Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates in various ways throughout the world. The idea of honoring mothers on Mother’s day was introduced by the Greeks who used to honor Rhea, the mother of Zeus. Today this festivity is observed with great fervor across the globe. It is a day meant to honor mothers and motherhood. In Germany Mother’s day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This date is also known as Mutterstag in German language. The day was first celebrated in the year 1922. On this special occasion, kids give lovely bouquets to their moms.
Local name: Muttertag
Ways to celeberate Muttertag in Germany
Mother’s Day is observed with great pomp and gaiety. The day is meant to express love and gratitude. The event was declared an official German holiday in the year 1933. Until World War II, there was a tradition of honoring mothers with bronze, silver, and gold medals for producing children for the Father’s land (Vaterland). The medal was nicknamed as ‘Karnickelorden’ which means ‘Order of the Rabbit’. After the end of the war Mother’s day became a more unofficial event. Germans started gifting cards and flowers on this special occasion. It is observed on the second Sunday of May every year. Children gift elegant mother’s day cards, small souvenirs, presents and unexpected surprises to make her feel special. Family members try to be together on this special day. Hence they plan for a wonderful meal and give her a break from kitchen work.
Mother's Day and Muttertag in Germany
The history of mom's holiday in Germany and around the world
Although the idea of honoring mothers on a special day was known as far back as ancient Greece, today Mother's Day is celebrated in many countries, in many different ways, and on different dates.
Where Did Mother's Day Originate?
The credit for the American Mother's Day observance goes to three women. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), who also wrote the lyrics for "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," proposed a Mother's Day observance dedicated to peace in the years following the Civil War.
Such annual observances were held in Boston in the late 1800s.
In 1907 Anna Marie Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia teacher originally from Grafton, West Virginia, began her own efforts to establish a national Mother's Day. She also wished to honor her own mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis (1832-1905), who had first promoted the "Mothers' Work Days" in 1858 as a way to improve the sanitary conditions in her town. She later worked to relieve suffering during and after the Civil War. With the support of churches, business people, and politicians, Mother's Day came to be observed on the second Sunday in May in most U.S. states within several years of Ann Jarvis' campaign. The national Mother's Day holiday became official on May 8, 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution, but it was more of a patriotic day on which flags were flown in honor of mom. Ironically, Anna Jarvis, who later tried in vain to combat the increasing commercialization of the holiday, never became a mother herself.
Mother's Day in Europe
England's Mother's Day observance goes back to the 13th century when "Mothering Sunday" was observed on the fourth Sunday of Lent (because it was originally for Mary, mother of Christ). Later, in the 17th century, servants were given a free day on Mothering Sunday to return home and visit their mothers, often bringing along a sweet treat known as the "mothering cake" that was to be kept until Easter.
In the UK, Mothering Sunday is still observed during Lent, in March or early April.
In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland Muttertag is observed on the second Sunday in May, just as in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Italy, Japan, and many other countries. During the First World War, Switzerland was one the first European countries to introduce Mother's Day (in 1917). Germany's first Muttertag observance took place in 1922, Austria's in 1926 (or 1924, depending on the source). Muttertag was first declared an official German holiday in 1933 (the second Sunday in May) and took on a special significance as part of the Nazi motherhood cult under the Hitler regime. There was even a medal—das Mutterkreuz—in bronze, silver, and gold (eight or more Kinder!), awarded to mothers who produced children for the Vaterland. (The medal had the popular nickname of "Karnickelorden," the "Order of the Rabbit.") After World War II the German holiday became a more unofficial one that took on the cards-and-flowers elements of the U.S. Mother's Day. In Germany, if Mother's Day happens to fall on Pfingstsonntag (Pentecost), the holiday is moved to the first Sunday in May.
Mother's Day in Latin America
International Mother's Day is observed on May 11.
In Mexico and much of Latin America Mother's Day is on May 10. In France and Sweden Mother's Day falls on the last Sunday in May. Spring in Argentina comes in October, which may explain why their Mother's Day observance is on the second Sunday in October rather than May. In Spain and Portugal Mother's Day is December 8 and is more of a religious holiday than most Mother's Day celebrations around the world, although the English Mothering Sunday actually began under Henry III in the 1200s as a celebration of the "Mother Church."
German poet and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "Von Vater hab ich die Statur, des Lebens ernstes Führen, von Mütterchen die Frohnatur und Lust zu fabulieren."
Muttertag - Mother's Day in Germany
God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.
Mother's Day in Germany Today
Mother's day celebration in Germany takes place on the second Sunday of May.
It will come on May, 13 in 2007. The holiday is known as Muttertag in Germany.
Mother's Day is celebrated almost all over the world. It is a holiday to express love and gratitude to mothers and make them feel special. People congratulate and thank their mothers for everything they do, say good wishes, give them flowers and presents. Today many German children compliment their moms with mothers day cards and eCards.
The History of Mother's Day
In Ancient Greece that day was celebrated in the middle of March in Rhea's honour, she was great Zeus' mother.
The tradition of annual and public holiday has come to Germany from the USA in the beginning of XX century. It was the time when a new custom to celebrate Mother's day in May became stronger and fixed. Anna Jervis was a young American woman from Philadelphia who suggested to celebrate Mother's Day in memory of her own mother in 1908 . Mother's Day was acknowledged as an official holiday for the first time in Virginia in 1910.
There was a Sunday in Thuringia (one of 16 federal areas of Germany) in Middle Ages when relatives used to visit and congratulate each other with a newcome spring. Spring was associated with the beginning of life, and women gave to humankind that life. Nobody worked, everybody went to parents' place and mothers were blessed by natives on that day.
Mother's day was firstly celebrated in Germany in 1923. Then it was accepted as a national holiday in the honor of motherhood in 1933.
Nowadays German kids visit their mothers and give them flowers, small souvenirs, pleasant presents and unexpected surprises. But as you know the main gift for any mom is children's attention. On Mother's day German families try to be together, especially for the wonderful meal.
Mother’s Day and Muttertag
Motherhood, confidently, is something to celebrate for and this extends any of world geographical, political and religious boundaries. That is why, around 250 years b. c., during Greek and Romanian period the celebration of Mother’s Day begun its journey, manifested in a practice of spring festivals organized to honor Rhea and Cybele – two mother goddesses of that time. This festival represented a three-day event that was customarily held in March, covering games, masquerades and parades.
Later on, Mother’s Day, recognized as “Mothering Sunday” altered its dedication and was celebrated by Early Christians as a religious festival – a modern form of celebrating the Mother’s Day, held on the last Sunday of Lent for honoring the Virgin Mary.
In the United Kingdom and Europe this day celebration took place as a day for honoring all the mothers without an exception of their religious, educational or political position. This day remained a tradition thereafter; celebrated in such a form where children offered flowers and gifts to their mothers after the prayer service for Virgin Mary was held in the Church.
In the United States, manifestation of Mother’s Day arose in 1872 as a proposal of Julia Ward Howe – a poet and writer that became a well known for her song dedicated to the Civil War “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. She advocated for June 2 to become the official celebration date of Mother’s Day – as a day for promoting the world peace. Later on, in 1908, Anna Jarvis initiated the Mother’s Day celebration and she lobbied for this day to become an official U.S. holiday. In 1911, almost every country in U. S. was celebrating this day, and officially on the eighth of May 1914, this came to be a U.S. official holiday by the President Woodrow Wilson – where through a resolution he distinguished the 2 nd Sunday of May as the official U. S. Mother’s Day.
Dissimilarity amongst World Mother’s Day dates
Despite the historical cycle of Mother’s Day, this holiday since the 20 th Century stretched almost everywhere around the world, in different countries and cultures, and even nowadays this is a very popular holiday, celebrated annually. Even these days, Mother’s Day holiday is still celebrated almost universally: in U.S., Asia, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, China, Japan, Europe, Turkey and broadly.
The remarkable element of the Mother’s Day is that its celebration date is not internationally unified – contrary, this day is celebrated in very different dates, depending on the country and historical development of it. Still, the purpose of this very unique and significant festivity does not differ and it is unanimously united – is it to honor the figure of the mother and motherhood mission – mother’s great love and dedication given on growing, teaching their children and evolving the humankind.
As aforesaid, dates of celebration of this day differ; hence if you go in Australia and United States this day is celebrated on the 2 nd Sunday of May, while in Thailand this day is celebrated on the occasion of celebrating the existing Thailand Queen’s birthday – H.M. Queen Sirikit on August 12, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of Lent, and it is different in the other world countries.
The name of “Mother’s Day” is universal around the globe, – i.e., in France this day is known as “Fete Des Meres”, in Germany as “Muttertag”, in Spain as “Día De las Madres”, in Norway as “Morsdag”, while in Romania is identified as “Ziua Mamei” and so forth.
However, despite the differences in Mother’s Day around the globe, there is no exceptional dissimilarity amongst celebrating practices of it. In most of the countries this day is celebrated by children offering to their mothers gifts such as: flowers, jewelries, parfumes, cards and other gifts. There is a lot of commercialization of the Mother’s Day besides, where tons of flowers, cards and different other gifts that are especially produced and sold for this day. Some families also celebrate this day by organizing family joining together activities with a dinner of homemade cookings. Given the importance that this this special woman/mother dedicated day has for the country, in the United States people even got to put national flags in their homes during the Mother’s Day.
Muttertag is the German name used to identify the Mother’s Day. This day in Germany is celebrated on the 2 nd Sunday of May, while if this day happens to be the Pentecost “Pfingstsonntag” – the Christian festival for celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit (held on the 7 th Sunday following Easter) than Mother’s Day is celebrated on the 1 st Sunday of May (a week earlier).
History of Muttertag
The history of Muttertag in Germany originates in the Middle Ages – in one of the Federal Areas of Germany “Thuringia”, where people used to celebrate the opening of Spring by taking a day-off for visiting relatives – especially their parents and by marking it as a time when women gave life to the humanity.
The year 1922 was the time when the Germans started to celebrate Mother’s Day for the first time and in 1933 this occasion was declared an official holiday to be celebrated on the 2 nd Sunday of May.
During the Nazi time Mother’s Day gained a remarkable position, where a tradition of giving bronze, silver and gold medals for the German mothers was established. But this “golden area” of Mother’s Day did not last for too long as by the end of the World War II Mother’s Day misplaced its German elements, replaced by the American elements of celebration by offering flowers and cards to mothers.
German Muttertag celebrating acitivities
The way German people celebrate Mother’s Day is not actually very dissimilar from other world countries. First of all, there are a lot of phone calls that German mothers receive from their children – as a form to express gratitude and adoration for their mums for the love and care given to them. There are a lot of colorful flowers that German mothers get in this day. Moreover, there are also white flowers sent to the graves of dead mothers as well. Other forms of gifts are also chocolates, parfumes, cards or e-cards, different surprising visits or traveling tickets and so forth. It is also very common for some to visit their parents and cook in their homes for their mothers.
Moreover, there is a Cross of Honour of the German Mother – introduced by the Government of the Deutsches Reich in 1938, given the importance that Germany has given to the motherhood mission.
Dates of Mother’s Day in Germany (2016-2019)
The following are the dates of Mother’s Day for the four year period of 2016-2019:
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Bright Hub Education
Muttertag: Mother's Day Terms and Expressions in German
Here is the vocabulary needed to greet and praise your mother in German. Learn about the history and German customs for Muttertag and enjoy a short poem.
Be Prepared to Honor Your Mother
Muttertag or Mother's Day is celebrated in Germany on the second Sunday of May. Although Mother's Day is commemorated in many countries around the world, the dates vary. Spain celebrates Mother's Day on the first Sunday in May, Mexico always on the 10th of May and Argentine in October.
Words and phrases
Die Mutter - mother
Die Kinder - children
Die Liebe - love
Die Blume - flower
Der Blumenstrauss - bunch of flowers
Ich hab dich lieb - I love you
Das Herz - heart
Das Gefuehl - sentiment
Die Umarmung - hug
Das Gedicht - poem
Das Geschenk - gift
Der Sonntag - Sunday
Der Feiertag - bank holiday
Die Feier - celebration
Das Fruehstueck - breakfast
im Bett - in bed
Brief History
Although the ancient Greeks and Romans already dedicated gods and festivities to mothers, Mother's Day as we celebrate it today originated in the 20th century and, more generally, the women's movements in America and England. The 'founder' of Mother's Day is Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. On May 9, 1907, she attended a memorial service for the second anniversary of the passing away of her mother and, on leaving church, distributed 500 white carnations to other mothers. The next year, the tradition continued and a special service was held in honor of all mothers. The tradition caught on and resulted in today's various Mother's Day celebrations in the month of May.
Muttertagsbraeuche
Die Muttertagsbraeuche - Mother's Day customs
It's the children who honor and give thanks to their moms with good behavior, pampering, flowers, cards and gifts.
Gutes Benehmen - good behavior
Die Nelke - carnation
Die Muttertagsblume - Mother's Day flower
In memory of Anna Jarvis, the traditional flower in Germany is the carnation. White carnations are reserved for dead mothers, the living ones receive red carnations and of course a big bunch of any other spring flowers and roses.
Fruehlingsstrauss - spring bouquet
Breakfast in bed is another Mother's Day treat. In Germany, Mother's Day is very much a family day. At the beginning of May, the weather is warming up and the day is often used for excursions.
Das Wetter - weather
Der Ausflug - excursion
Der Spaziergang - walk
As it is a Sunday, Muttertagsgottesdienste are often held and attended.
Der Gottesdienst - church service
Zur Kirche gehen - attending church
No Mother's Day is complete without a poem. There is a rich choice of Muttertagsgedichte, from the classics to modern. Enjoy a very 
Muttertag Germany 2011
The festival Mother's Day, also known as Muttertag, will be celebrated on 8th May in 2011 in Germany.
Mother's Day is celebrated on 8th May and in 2011 Mother's Day will be celebrated on 2nd Sunday of May. Countries like Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic Of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, China and France also celebrate Mother's Day with great fervor and refer to it as Muttertag in Germany.Mother's Day is one of the most popular festivals in United States and is also called Mothering Sunday and National Mother's Day.
Mother's Day dates 2011 around the world:
A Calendar of German Holidays and Customs - German-English
A Calendar of Holidays in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland
Holidays and Observances in German-Speaking Europe
Holidays (Feiertage) marked with an asterisk ( * ) are official national holidays in Germany and/or the other German-speaking countries. Some of the holidays listed here are regional or specifically Catholic or Protestant celebrations only.
Note that certain holidays (Erntedankfest, Muttertag/Mother's Day, Vatertag/Father's Day, etc.) are observed on different dates in different countries in Europe and around the world.
For holidays that do not fall on a fixed date, see the Bewegliche Feste (movable feasts / holidays) table following the January through December table.
Holidays with Fixed Dates
A public holiday in Austria and the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bayern (Bavaria), and Sachsen-Anhalt in Germany.
(Austria, Germany, Switz.)
2nd Sunday in June
(Austria only; diff. date in Germany)
Celebrated with fireworks
Movable Holidays with No Fixed Date
Movable Feasts | Bewegliche Feste
From Latin mandatum in the prayer for Christ's washing of the feet of the disciples on the Thursday before Easter.
Date of first communion in the Catholic church
Mother's Day in Germany
Origin and History of Mother's Day in Germany
Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates in various ways throughout the world. The idea of honoring mothers on Mother’s day was introduced by the Greeks who used to honor Rhea, the mother of Zeus. Today this festivity is observed with great fervor across the globe. It is a day meant to honor mothers and motherhood. In Germany Mother’s day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This date is also known as Mutterstag in German language. The day was first celebrated in the year 1922. On this special occasion, kids give lovely bouquets to their moms.
Local name: Muttertag
Ways to celeberate Muttertag in Germany
Mother’s Day is observed with great pomp and gaiety. The day is meant to express love and gratitude. The event was declared an official German holiday in the year 1933. Until World War II, there was a tradition of honoring mothers with bronze, silver, and gold medals for producing children for the Father’s land (Vaterland). The medal was nicknamed as ‘Karnickelorden’ which means ‘Order of the Rabbit’. After the end of the war Mother’s day became a more unofficial event. Germans started gifting cards and flowers on this special occasion. It is observed on the second Sunday of May every year. Children gift elegant mother’s day cards, small souvenirs, presents and unexpected surprises to make her feel special. Family members try to be together on this special day. Hence they plan for a wonderful meal and give her a break from kitchen work.
Muttertag 2017
Papenburg, Germany
Event's Details
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Event's Location
Hauptkanal links 68-72 Papenburg 26871, Germany
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Arkadenhaus - Hotel Freiherr von Schwarzenberg
Hauptkanal links 68-72
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Arkadenhaus - Hotel Freiherr von Schwarzenberg
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Muttertag in der Alten Post
Müllheim, Germany
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Event's Location
Posthalterweg/ An der B3 Müllheim 79379, Germany
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Alte Post Müllheim
Posthalterweg/ An der B3
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Alte Post Müllheim
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SignedEvents We come to you to provide complete information about the upcoming spectacular events around you. Search and browse each event in details, get the best match and maxed out your fun with friends or families.
Disclaimer: The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
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