When Anna Marie Jarvis petitioned then President Woodrow Wilson for a national holiday, she intended for Americans to share the love and reverance of mothers annually. It began as a tribute to her own mother Anna Jarvis, and after signed a proclamation on May 9, 1914, Mother’s Day grew into an international phenomenon bigger than what Jarvis could have imagined. The annual commemoration has become an important national holiday in many countries, with significant economic impact as well as personal significance.
Mother’s Day is celebrated officially and unofficially in many countries around the world. The celebrations may take place at different times of the year. As in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and India takes place on the second Sunday in May. However, in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, and Mexico, Mother’s Day fall on a different day.
On the East Asian island of Taiwan, 23 million people take Mother’s Day celebration seriously. People in Taiwan have borrowed many customs from the USA, including Valentine’s Day, Christmas and Father’s Day, especially in recent years. Often, the borrowed American traditions have their own flair and style in Taiwan.
Most people in Taiwan give their mothers cards during the holiday. For some, the holiday provides another reason to have a family reunion. Schoolchildren in Taiwan make Mother’s Day cards in class, just as they do in the USA. This year at school, my sons made special artwork, gifts, and baked special cookies for Mother’s Day gifts.
One of the most unique events related to Mother’s Day in Taiwan are public recognition or awards ceremonies, honoring model mothers. These may be hosted by schools, local governments, business and social associations. Most are humble public gatherings honoring local maternal heroes. Some of these events can be extravagant social affair, designed to make mother’s feel like royalty.
This year, I was invited to cover one such special event. The 2015 Model Mother Awards Ceremony was hosted by the Kaohsiung City Senior Service Association (KCSSA) and held at the E-Da Royal Hotel in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was unlike any Mother’s Day event I have seen. Mothers throughout Kaohsiung were chosen based on their merits and accomplishments within their families and communities. The KCSSA honored the mothers in a fashion that was unseen elsewhere in Taiwan.
According to KCSSA Chairman Sophia Zheng (曾), since 2011, the association strived to honor mothers by pampering them and giving them an experience fit for royalty. Indeed, when I walked into the extravagant hotel lobby, I saw graceful women adorned in formal gowns and glittering crowns. For many of the elderly mothers, it was the first formal occassion in their lives. The association spoiled the mothers with a professional level of style consulting, hair and makeup service, and formal gowns. By the time they had to make their grand entrance and walk on the red carpet, they were looking their best, and smiling radiantly.
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Kaohsiung Chief Robert DeWitt welcomed hundreds of attendees with a speech that explained the origins of Mother’s Day in the USA, and honored the mothers in Taiwan. Chairman Zheng , government officials, and business leaders awarded the mothers on stage. After the awards ceremony, the mother’s and their attendees were treated with a first-class dinner and entertainment.
Living in Taiwan for years, I have witnessed a high level of respect for parents and ancestors (and teachers) that is a traditional part of Asian culture. It is no surprise that a holiday that reveres mothers is embraced in Taiwan. The reverence that Anna Marie Jarvis expressed for her mother was truly universal, and has left its mark in many societies that share her reverence. Personally, I believe that every mother deserves to be spoiled in some way, to honor and respect their daily sacrifices they make to their family.