Hey, we missed Mother's Day in Israel

I wanted to double check the standard spelling for the day marked today. Some of this holidays are written apostrophe s and others as plural. Wikipeda shows it as apostrophe s. 2 interesting points I found there. For the right-wingers who equate all secular holidays with avoda zara, there actually is a basis to say that for this day.
Historical antecedents

Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins.[citation needed]

One school of thought[who?] claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (15 March) to 18 March.

The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.


As for the date in Israel, it gives it as the 30th of Shvat. From the year I spent in Israel, I have absolutely no recollection of that date being anticipated with the same type of stuff that pops in stores in late April and May in the states. But, of course, I wasn't doing family shopping then.

Comments

Ariella's blog said…
That's the date Wikipeda gives for Mother's Day in Israel. I never heard of it there.
Lion of Zion said…
hmm.
strange that they would coopt a secular holiday and give it a hebrew date. i wonder if there is some other signifigance to 30 shvat (as with 15 av)
Lion of Zion said…
ok, got it:

http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%95%D7%9D_%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%97%D7%94

for more, google יום האם

Popular Posts