⊙ By Zhan Yun Tan

翻译：Wendy

你在庆祝哪国的母亲节？

⊙ By Zhan Yun Tan

翻译：Wendy

在你为即将到来的母亲节做准备时，你可知道，我们在5月庆祝的只不过是美国、德国和澳大利亚等几个国家庆祝的母亲节？事实上，世界各地的人们都有属于自己的母亲节，日期还各不相同呢。一起去了解一下吧。

Not every country in the world celebrates Mother’s Day at the same day.

If you’re in the United States, you might be1)showering your mother with gifts in May—but if you’re in Thailand, that day doesn’t come until August. Mother’s Day, in fact, has different meanings and origins in various cultures.

United States

It was suggested by a social2)activist. Anna Jarvis wanted to honor mothers’3)sacrifices in raising their children. She fought to add the day to the national calendar, and by 1914, President Woodrow Wilson4)designated the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day.

Many countries followed the United States, such as Germany, Australia and Turkey. Mexico also celebrates the day early in May, but on a fixed date∶ May 10.

Middle East

The Arab world—which includes Syria, Egypt, Lebanon and others—celebrates Mother’s Day on March 21,5)coinciding with the beginning of the spring6)equinox. The concept of Mother’s Day was introduced in 1943. The tradition then spread to neighboring countries in the region.

Great Britain

In Britain, Mothering Sunday, or Mother’sDay, is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. According to Britannica, the custom began in the Middle Ages when people who had moved away returned to visit their home7)parishes and their mothers on that day. In particular, it was a day when children who left home to work as8)domestic servants were given a day off.

Nepal

It’s a holy festival celebrated on a new moon night. Also called Mata Tirtha Snan, mother’s day in Nepal falls on the Nepali month of Baisakh, which usually occurs around late April to early May. The day was picked based on the story about a9)grieving man who saw his10)deceased mother’s face in a pond on this day after offering11)prayers.

Eastern Europe

Russia and several eastern European countries such as Azerbaijan and Bulgaria celebrate Mother’s Day on March 8, which is International Women’s Day. In Russia, the day is also called “Women’s Day,” celebrating12)maternity.

Countries with13)Monarchs

Japan used to celebrate the day on March 6 to14)commemorate the birthday of15)Empress Kojun, but changed it to the second Sunday in May after World War II.

Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day on the Queen’s birthday, which is August 12. In Thai society, the royal family is widely respected. If you walk into a Thai restaurant anywhere in the world, you might find pictures of the Thai King and Queen hanging on the wall. The queen is seen as the mother of the country.

1) shower [΄ʃaʊə(r)] v. 大量地给予

2) activist [΄æktIvIst] n. 活动家，积极分子

3) sacrifice [΄sækrIfaIs] n. 牺牲，献身

4) designate [΄dezIɡneIt] v. 指定

5) coincide [΄kəʊIn΄saId] v. 与……一致，相符合

6) equinox [΄iːkwInɒks] n. 春分或秋分

7) parish [΄pærIʃ] n. 教区

8) domestic servant 佣人

9) grieve [ɡriːv] v. 伤心，悲痛

10) deceased [dI΄siːst] adj. 已故的

11) prayer [preə(r)] n. 祈祷，祷告

12) maternity [mə΄tзːnItI] n. 母性，母爱

13) monarch [΄mɒnək] n. 君主，帝王

14) commemorate [kə΄meməreIt] v. 纪念

15) empress [΄emprIs] n. 皇后，女皇

◆ Mothering Sunday 拜望双亲日：当初，在外生活的人们会在这一天回到自己受洗或小时候做祷告的教堂。后来，雇主会给在自己家干活的佣人放假一天，让他们也回到自己的教堂。也是在这个时候，家人有机会团聚，离家的孩子会给家里带回礼物。渐渐地，拜望双亲日就成了这一天的另一个含义。

◆ Lent 四旬节：也叫大斋节或封斋节，是基督教年历的一个节期。Lent在古英语中是“春季”一词的缩略形式。四旬节一般是从圣灰星期三（Ash Wednesday）到复活节的40天，这是为纪念耶稣在这40天里荒野禁食而设的，基督徒视之为禁食和为复活节做准备而忏悔的季节。

◆ Baisakh 吠舍佉月：印度历的第二个月，大致相当于中国农历的二月十六日到三月十五日，月份的名称源于月亮此时的位置。这个月标志着当地夏季的开始。

英国

世界各国并非都在同一天庆祝母亲节。

如果你身处美国，你会在5月份给母亲送上各种礼物；但假如你是在泰国，母亲节则要等到8月。事实上，母亲节在不同的文化中有着不同的含义和起源。