China News Service, Beijing, May 7 Title: Grass Flowers and Carnations, How Do Chinese People Express Mother's Day?
China News Service reporter Wen Longjie
Xuancao shengtang steps, inch grass three chunhui. Mother's love is a consistent theme in ancient and modern times, and it is a common discourse at home and abroad, and many countries in the world have Mother's Day.
Due to different customs and cultures, Mother's Day is not the same day in various countries. For example, Mother's Day in The Arab States is March 21, Mother's Day in France is the last Sunday in May, Mother's Day in the United Kingdom is the fourth Sunday of the Eid al-Fitr period, Mother's Day in Thailand is August 12, Mother's Day in Portugal is December 8, and Mother's Day in Indonesia is December 22.
Probably the most widely spread at present originated on Mother's Day in the United States. On May 10, 1913, the U.S. House and Senate passed the relevant resolution. Then President Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. For more than 100 years, italy, Australia, Belgium and many other countries have also used this time to celebrate this time.
Infographic: A child presents a greeting card he made to his mother. Photo by Hu Gaolei, China News Service
Because of the international exchanges, celebrating "Mother's Day" has also become a fashion in contemporary China. Although "Mother's Day" is not a legal holiday in China, it is quite recognized among the public. Some people have also been "inspired" by this and proposed to position the day of Mengmu's birth as "Chinese Mother's Day", that is, the second day of the first month of April in the lunar calendar.
In fact, although the "Mother's Day" of various countries is different, the connotation of "love" is the same.
"The seams are tight, and I am afraid that I will be late." Maternal love is a woman's greatest contribution to humanity, beyond language, nation, and religion. Correspondingly, maternal love and mother-in-law are basic emotional needs, as evidenced by the high similarity in the pronunciation of the word "mother" throughout the world, "it should be a mother's kindness, so that Er'er will not be responsible."
In China, maternal love has another meaning. "The mother's hand is threaded, the wanderer is clothed", "the hard work will eventually be a son, and the poor parents of the world will be hearted". If love is an instinctive response to a mother's life, filial piety is an ethical sentiment of support and upbringing to a mother. Hu Shi once wrote in the article "My Mother": "If I learn the slightest good temper, if I learn a little kindness to others, if I can forgive people and understand people - I have to thank my loving mother." ”
Red Carnation Source: IC photo
Love is born naturally, and filial piety depends on the acquired cultural cultivation.
Filial piety is one of the important concepts of Chinese culture. In Confucianism, "benevolence" is considered the core, and "filial piety is the foundation of benevolence." "Filial piety begins with relatives, from the king, and finally to the throne."
The Book of Filial Piety, which is listed as one of the Thirteen Confucian Classics, points out that "filial piety, the origin of virtue, and the birth of the place of teaching", "Filial piety, the scripture of heaven, the righteousness of the earth, the deeds of the people, the scriptures of heaven and earth, and the people are the rule, then the light of heaven, because of the benefits of the land, to conform to the world, is made of its teachings, and its government is not strict and governed." ”
Filial piety is also valued in Western culture. According to the Bible, Jehovah God, whom Christians believe in, has promulgated ten precepts for human society that must be kept, the fifth of which requires "honoring one's parents." Christian doctrine requires Christians to "honor your parents so that you may be blessed and live a long life."
In Western culture, "filial piety" often appears in the form of "gratitude" to parents. In the French mid-20th-century expressionist writer Camus's The Outsider, Morceau, a young clerk, learns that his mother died in a nursing home, and when he saw his mother's body indifferent during the funeral, he was condemned as an "outsider" who twisted human nature and did not understand gratitude.
"The Father gave birth to me, and the Mother bowed to me... If you want to repay the virtue, Hao Tian is reckless." On Mother's Day, what bouquet of flowers to give to your mother? ——Whether it is a grass flower in front of the hall or a bouquet of carnations, it is the love and gratitude for the mother. (End)