Mother’s Day and Ukrainian Canadians

(“A Small Ukrainian Canadian Twist on the Holiday”)

By Dr. Roman Yereniuk

Mother’s Day, as a North American holiday, was initiated on May 10, 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, USA (second Sunday of May) by Anna Jarvis, to honour her mother who had worked hard, starting in 1858 to create “Mothers’ Work Days” during the Civil War. By 1914, the idea had spread and US President Woodrow Wilson, declared the first National Mother’s Day to honour that mother’s whose sons had died in the Great War. Within a decade, the holiday became a tradition of honouring all mothers and the subsequent commercialization. Today, most English speaking countries, Europe, Africa, North and South America celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May.

Ukrainian Canadians embraced this day early in their settlement in Canada beginning in the 1920s and 1930s. Many Ukrainian National Homes or Ukrainian Prosvita Halls (these are the names for the Ukrainian cultural centres in the Canadian Prairies) or Ukrainian Church parishes featured concerts dedicated to mothers.

During the concerts, with songs, poems and narrative, the children dedicated themselves to their mothers and grandmothers. However, many times there were also other “mother related themes.” In that Ukraine was occupied by the Soviet Union and Poland, the theme of “Our Mother – Our Ukraine” (“nasha nenka - nasha Ukraina”) was emphasized. This was often done through poems written both in Ukraine and Canada, with the emphasis, “not to forget about our native land, our Mother – Ukraine.” And so in 1991, with the proclamation of Ukraine’s independence, the emphasis on “Mother Ukraine” was finally fulfilled.

Another theme that connected with Mother’s Day was that of Blessed Mary – the Mother of Christ. She is often referred to as the Theotokos – the Mother of God. The Eastern Orthodox tradition has four religious feasts dedicated to her. However, amongst Ukrainian Canadians, there became a tradition to also honour her during Mother’s Day. Titles dedicated to her in poetry and song included, “Most Pure One”, “Mother of Life”, “The New Eve”, and “The Woman of Divine Motherhood.”

Thus, Ukrainian celebrations honoured for the foremost mothers but also “Mother Ukraine” and “Mary – the Theotokos.”

In many parishes of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches, there were strong traditions of making and pinning paper flowers to honour all mothers. Growing up at St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Edmonton, I remember in the 1950s and 1960s receiving such small boutonnires at the entrance to the church by girls. It was curious because they would ask if your mother was living, deceased, or you did not know. This was because of the colouring – red for honouring living mothers, white for deceased, and pink if you did not know. Most wore red or white.

In Ukraine, Mother’s Day was introduced after 1991 and has gained wide popularity. Previous to this, Soviet Ukraine honoured women on International Women’s Day (March 8), which also had a wider meaning of honouring all working women.

Celebrating Mother’s Day is now a strong Canadian tradition and within it, most multicultural groups have added it to their list of celebrations. Ukrainian Canadians have had a long history of this celebration since motherhood is an essential part of their culture and religious ethos.

Congratulations were extended to all mothers on May 11, “2008 Mother’s Day”!

 Professor Roman Yereniuk is Acting Director of the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.