(le Róislín)

I Meiriceá bíonn Lá na Máithreacha ar an dara Domhnach i mí na Bealtaine. 

In America, Mother’s Day is on the second Sunday of May. 

 

An bhfuil sé ar lá eile i do thír féin?  Mar shampla, de réir mar a léim ar líne, Domhnach deireanach mhí na Samhna (An Rúis) nó Domhnach deireanach mhí na Bealtaine (An tSualainn)?

Is it on another day in your country?  For example, according to what I read online, the last Sunday of November (Russia) or the last Sunday of May (Sweden)?

 

Tosaíodh Lá na Máithreacha mar a aithníonn muid anois é sa bhliain 1908 (naoi déag agus a hocht).   Bhunaigh Anna M. Jarvis é, in onóir a máthar. 

Mother’s Day as we know it now was started in the year 1908.  Anna M. Jarvis established it, in honor of her mother.

 

Roimhe sin, bhí cineál de Lá na Máithreacha ann a bhunaigh Julia Ward Howe sa bhliain 1870 (ocht déag seachtó). 

Before that, there was a type of Mother’s Day that Julia Ward Howe established in 1870.

 

Agus roimhe sin bhí “Domhnach an Mháithreachais” ann agus tá sé ann fós.

Before that, there was “Mothering Sunday,” and it still exists.

 

 Mar a dúirt mé anuraidh faoin am seo, “the [Irish] term for ‘Mothering Sunday’ is surprisingly elusive.”  That still seems to be the case, so please be aware that “Domhnach an Mháithreachais” is my best estimate as to what it should be.

 

Here are a few terms with the word “máthair” in Irish and/or “mother” in English.  Can you match them up?  Freagraí thíos:

1. tír dhúchais                                 a. mother hen

 

2. cearc áil                                        b. motherland

 3. máthairthír                                   c. abbess

 4. máthairab                                     d. mother-of-pearl

5. néamhann                                    e. mother country

 

Now as for the difference between “mother country” and “motherland,” in English, that may take some more pondering, but suffice to say here that both terms exist.  Only one actually uses the word “mother;” the other is based on “dúchas,” which has a variety of meanings, such as “birthright,” “heritage,” and “native country.” 

Freagraí: 1b, 2a, 3e, 4c, 5d

Nótaí: ál [awl], clutch, litter; áil [aw-il] of a clutch, of a litter; bhunaigh [WUN-ee] established; cearc [kyark] hen; Domhnach [DOH-nukh] Sunday; dúchas [DOOKH-uss]; léim [LAY-im] I read; máithreacha [MAW-hrukh-uh] mothers, of mothers; máithreachas [MAW-hrukh-uss] mothering, mháithreachais [WAW-hrukh-ush] of mothering; máthairthír [MAW-hir^zh-HEER^zh, n.b. 2^nd “t” is silent]; néamhann [NAYV-unn] mother-of-pearl; an tSualainn [un TOO-uh-lin] Sweden