Mother's Day, Poetry for Mother

One must always know how to say good, warm words, but this day is yet another opportunity for each person to thank their mother for her care and selfless devotion from the very first moment of life to maturity. Therefore, what follows is a small glimpse into the history of Mother's Day (Mum's Day) in Latvia, as well as excerpts from poetry for mother by various authors.

Painting by Frank Caña

Mother's Day in Latvia began to be celebrated in 1922, but from 1934 it was established that this day is celebrated on the second Sunday of each May, similarly to other European countries. However, there are also countries where Mother's Day is celebrated at a different time. For example, in Spain Mother's Day is on 8 December, when the church honours the Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus Christ. In France Mother's Day celebrations are on the last Sunday of May, marked with a cake, flowers and time spent together as a family. In 1938, at the suggestion of President Kārlis Ulmanis, Mother's Day began to be called Family Day, emphasising the great role of the mother in creating and maintaining the family hearth. During the Soviet period in Latvia this tradition was forgotten, but the celebration was restored in 1992.

Mother's Day 2012 - 13 May

***

Thank you, mother, for all you gave -
For joy, for sorrow's light revealed.

/A.Eglītis/

***

You, dear, dear little mother,
I love you above all else -
My life's path is white:
You gave me your little heart.

/Rainis/

***

Only one willow branch,
That gleams so silver-bright,
Mother, I can offer you
As a gift from my heart.

/L.Vāczemnieks/

***

Streams of pain thrash in my heart,
When you lay, mother,
Your loving hands upon my chest
To lull me to peace.

/J.Ziemeļnieks/

***

Your cradle song sounds in my chest -
It is with me at every step of life,
It sounds in joy, in sorrow, when things are hard,
It sounds in my heart, oh dear, good mother...

/A.Krūklis/

***

Stay young, stay just as beautiful,
A heart is not destined to grow old
That, generously sharing kindness,
Knows how to gift each person a moment of sun.

/K.Apškrūma/

***

Like a long sunny day
You are, our little mother.
Your warm, beautiful light
Generously falls on our path.
The dearest of all thanks
My heart wishes to say to you.

/A. Ķirškalne/

***

You offer us a drop of tenderness and a drop of beauty

To drink when we thirst.

With careful words you caress the soul

And place back the dream lost in summer.

When it seems - all is lost.

You are a source of warmth on the darkest night,

When the hearth has gone out.

In joy and in sorrow, the only one, mother,

From the beginning of life you have been with us.

/K.Apškrūma/

***

I wish, mother, to say thank you
For the silver of cares around my life,
For the tear that gleams on your cheek,
Which in my haste I often fail to notice.

For the fire in the hearth that you keep warm,
For holding us together around you,
For knowing how to quietly fold away sorrow
And to weave a bright smile around the day.

***

From your sun, your warm, warm smile,

I know not if I could ever refuse.

It is only so that a person awaits the morning hour,

To give thanks for all of life.

/V.Ļūdēns/

***

With a young heart and with a grey heart,

With a cradle hung in a bending birch,

With the last and the first love,

Like a flower your name has grown together with you.

/ O. Vācietis /

***

When today guests again open the door,
Relative beside relative sits, and brothers beside sisters,
Still there is one glass we must drink
To the wedding of a mother, each our own mother.

/I.Ziedonis/