The Meaning of Mother's Day

Whoever said Mother's Day was important only for the mom did not really get the point here. True, Mother's Day celebrates that glorious ideal of love and sacrifice called motherhood. However, someone is going to have to explain the significance of this day to the kids, and enroll their efforts into making this a day for mom to remember. Who else will do this, if not you, the dad?

Moms have been celebrated throughout time of course, and in recorded events in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. The origins of a specific Mother's Day go all the way back to the 16th century and the practice of visiting one's "mother church" once a year.

On that day, dark ages moms would be reunited with their children at church. In the United States, a mother and social activist, Julia Ward Howe worked to create a Mother's Day for Peace day during the Civil War in an attempt to organize mothers against war.

It was not until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. In some parts of the country, it is traditional to wait until Mothers Day to plant tomatoes.

Since then, Mother's Day has gone on to become the most popular day of the year to dine out in a restaurant and to make long distance phone calls and May is the biggest month for florists. Mother's Day is celebrated around the world, though the actual date changes depending on the country.

Mothers Day reminds dads that parenthood cannot be taken for granted and that life gives us an opportunity to celebrate it everyday and make it extraordinary.

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Here are five good places to order a Mother's Day gift basket.

Paul Banas was looking for a business idea that would allow him the flexibility to spend time with his family. Paul Banas is a founder of http://www.greatdad.com - a leading source of experience, recommendations, inspiration and advice for dads - delivered from the male perspective.