On the last Sunday of May, the French celebrate mothers with pasta necklaces, clumsy drawings, or other more or less costly gestures.
However, the origin of this celebration, which has become very commercial, is not well known.
Mother’s Day was initially a proposal from the natalist movement, put forward at the end of the 19th century and reinforced during the interwar period. “It called for the creation of a Mother’s Day to encourage women to have children.”
At that time, the authorities, concerned with “repopulating” France after a devastating First World War, were quite receptive to this message. They thus passed repressive laws, such as the one banning information on contraception in 1920, and even a law punishing with death any woman resorting to abortion.
Mother’s Day has transformed, becoming increasingly commercial.
However, this celebration has not always been widely accepted. In the 1970s, women’s liberation movement activists (MLF) even mocked this celebration.
Today, having shed its natalist intent, this celebration is now more about celebrating maternal love and filial bonds, rather than fertility.
