History of Mother's Day (May 11th): How is it observed in SL?

Today is that special day where we honor our mother’s or mum’s in my case. So how did this special day come about? The concept of Mother’s Day in the States is attributed to two different women: Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis. In 1870 Julia Ward Howe called for a special day to encourage pacifism and disarmament among women. This day was held in Boston for about 10 years. In 1907, Anna Jarvis held a private Mother’s Day celebration in memory of her mother in West Virginia. Based on this event, Anna would organize “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to improve the stability of the area where she lived. Anna would soon launch a state wide, then a nationwide campaign to expand this concept.

In 1908, Anna was successful and arranged for a Mother’s Day service, which was attended by over 400 children and their Mother’s in West Virginia. This location has become the International Mother’s Day Shrine.

Mother’s Day differs in many other countries. With countries celebrating the day in different months and dates than the usual May based one on the States. For example Norway holds their annual Mother’s Day celebration on the second Sunday of February, while Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria each celebrate Mother’s Day on the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

No matter the country, Mother’s Day is often celebrated with flowers and gifts to mothers. In countries and cultures where the date has a religious significance, the day is often marked as a day of prayer and religious customs.

Mother’s Day in Second Life is and can be pretty much observed the same way in real life. You can give your Second Life “mother” gift cards, jewelry, greeting cards, and flowers in Second Life. You could also hold a Mother’s Day party or plan an outing out for your Second Life mother. Many venues are hosting events on this special day and if you are looking for an event, check out the following Mother’s Day events in Second Life:

Steel Horse Saloon: 10am slt-Steel Horse Saloon will have a special Mother’s Day event! The location features biking, paintball, zombie shooting! DJ Koga will be the dj for this event. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Steel%20Horse%20Saloon/133/122/23

RMS Titanic: 11am slt to 4pm slt-If you are looking for a romantic Mother’s Day event, then the RMS Titantic is the location to be! The venue is hosting a special 5 hour Mother’s Day event featuring Live performer HammerFla Magic and DJ Alexander.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Titanic/140/206/34

Windows on the World: 4pm slt to 6pm slt: This venue has a 2 hour Mother’s Day event! Two live singers will hit the stage at Windows on the World, Phil Setner and Taunter Goodnight.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonwind%20III/21/72/103

Of course you can always do a simple search in Second Life for Mother’s Day and find many other interesting events or check out the Second Life Destinations guide for ongoing events and locations, if you are considering planning your own special Mother’s Day event in Second Life.

Happy Mother’s Day!