Mother’s Day (عيد الأم) is celebrated all around the world on different days of the year to honour mothers and to express gratitude to them. It is believed that Mother’s Day originated from a Greek Festival that celebrates the mother of Greek gods.

Mother’s Day in the Arab world started with an idea proposed by 2 famous Egyptian journalists “مصطفى أمين وعلي أمين” in response to letters from mothers complaining that their children do not look after them in their old age. Mostafa Amin and Ali Amin wrote in their daily column (فكرة) to propose that people celebrate Mother’s Day on the first day of spring, i.e. the 21^st of March every year. Readers welcomed the idea, and the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in Egypt in 1956. Since then, the tradition spread to other Arab countries, and now all Arab countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the same day. Some people prefer to call the day (عيد الأسرة) “Family’s Day”, so as to use the occasion to celebrate both parents not only the mother.

On Mother’s Day, mothers receive greeting cards (بطاقات), flowers (زهور) and presents (هدايا). Nowadays, lots of websites sell greeting text messages and e-cards for the occasion. It is interesting that in the Arab world Mother’s Day is used to celebrate many other female figures in society, not only mother’s. Female teachers usually receive presents from many pupils. Grandmothers and mothers-in-law must get presents as well.

There are lots of songs that are dedicated for mothers; the best in my opinion is the oldest one that I know and it is called (ست الحبايب).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU6m-MAiT68&feature=related

What did you bring your mother this year?

ماذا أحضرت لأمك هذه السنة؟