The custom of honouring mothers began thousands of years ago. Myths
were created by people as they began to weave wonderful stories about
gods and goddesses who moved the sun across the sky and twinkled the
stars at night. These stories were added to year after year. Some of the
first myths were told by the ancient people of Phrygia in Asia Minor. They |
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believed
that the most
important goddess
was Cybele, the
daughter of Heaven
and Earth, and she
was considered to
be the mother of all
the gods. Once a year
the people ofPhrygia
held a festival to
honour her. This may
have been the first
celebration to honour
a mother. |
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The Greek people
also had a powerful
goddess who was the
mother of all the
gods, and
she was
called Rhea.
Likewise, the Romans
had a mother of all
the gods, and she
was Magna Mater, or
Great Mother. A
temple on the
Palatine Hill in Rome
was built for her. |
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Each year on March
15, there was a three-day celebration to honour her,
and it was called the Festival of Hilaria. Gifts were brought to the temple to
please this powerful mother-goddess. With the coming of Christianity, a
celebration was held to honour the "Mother Church." On
the fourth Sunday
in Lent, people brought gifts to the church where they had been
baptized.
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