Mother’s Day in Malawi – October 15, 2022, history, significance
Mother’s Day in Malawi is celebrated every year on October 15. It’s a day dedicated to celebrating motherhood. It is observed on the International Day of Rural Women declared by the United Nations.
Worldwide, the history of mother’s day is tied to Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom, when people who had moved away returned to the ‘mother church’ in their hometowns. This gradually evolved and people began using the day to visit their mothers. In the United States, Mother’s Day originated through the efforts of Anna Jarvis, who created the day to pay tribute to her mother.
HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY IN MALAWI
Mother’s Day in Malawi is dedicated to celebrating motherhood. Interestingly, mother’s day in Malawi is observed on the same day as the United Nations’ International Day of Rural Women. In Malawi, the word for pregnancy in Chichewa is ‘pakati,’ which means ‘between life and death.’ This highlights the stark reality of being a mother in one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. However, the good news is that these rates have been witnessing a decline in recent years.
Mother’s Day is not a holiday that is tied to Malawi alone. Its history goes back to the time when the ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated festivals in honor of Rhea and Cybele, mother goddesses.
However, Mother’s Day as we know it today owes its origins to the Middle Ages when it was called Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom. On the fourth Sunday of Lent, people who had moved away returned to the ‘mother church’ in their hometowns. This gradually evolved and people began using the day to visit their mothers instead.
In the United States, Mother’s Day originated from the efforts of a woman called Anna Jarvis. While Jarvis’ mother was alive, she organized Mother’s Day Work Clubs to improve sanitary conditions and lower infant mortality rates in her community. She’d also expressed a desire for a day dedicated to mothers.
After her mother passed away, Jarvis held a memorial service at her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia on March 12, 1907. In 1908, another memorial service was held on the second Sunday in May. This led to the creation of Mother’s Day. In five years, almost all states were observing the day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared it an official holiday in the U.S.
MOTHER’S DAY IN MALAWI TIMELINE
1907
The First Mother’s Day is Observed
Anna Jarvis holds a memorial service in honor of her mother, and Mother’s Day is born.
1911
Mother’s Day Spreads
The majority of states in the U.S. begin observing Mother’s Day.
1914
Mother’s Day is Officially Declared
President Woodrow Wilson declares Mother’s Day an official holiday.
2008
Rural Women’s Day is Established
The International Day of Rural Women is first observed by the United Nations.
MOTHER’S DAY IN MALAWI ACTIVITIES
Honor all mothers
Mothers are superheroes that are often unrecognized. They provide love, warmth, protection, and affection with a grace that belies the difficulty of their roles. Celebrate by honoring mothers in whichever way you can.
Send mom a gift
Take this opportunity to spoil your mother with a nice gift. Make sure it’s something she loves!
Spread the word
Tell the whole world about Mother’s Day in Malawi. Create a lovely post about mothers and use the hashtags #mothersday and #malawi.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MALAWI
Malawi is the ‘warm heart’
Malawi is also known as the ‘warm heart of Africa’.
Malawi is landlocked
Though one-fifth of Malawi is made up of bodies of water, it is a landlocked country.
Malawi had a different name
In 1907, Malawi was given the name ‘Nyasaland’ after being made a British protectorate.
Lake Malawi is one of the largest
Lake Malawi is the second deepest and the third largest lake in Africa, measuring 350 miles from north to south.
Lake Malawi is loaded
UNESCO reports that Lake Malawi has more species of fish than any other on the planet.
WHY WE LOVE MOTHER’S DAY IN MALAWI
Mothers are loving
A mother’s love is one of the deepest and most abiding. Mothers love unconditionally and selflessly through their words and actions.
Mothers are the unsung heroes
Without pay, praise or thanks, mothers do everything they can to help their children become who they need to be. They are often the unsung heroes in almost every success story. Mother’s day is an opportunity to give them the adoration they so richly deserve.
Mothers are strong and selfless
With admirable grace, mothers pass through the rigors of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing. They are incredibly strong and we love them for it!
