By Leanne Hudson

It might seem like a commercial ploy, but the origins of Mother's Day stretch back centuries...

People have long celebrated the role of mother. From worshipping mythological figures like Rhea and Cybele, mother goddesses of the ancient Greek and Roman Empires, to our present-day tradition of giving flowers and gifts on Mother's Day, people throughout the ages have felt the need to honour the person who gave them life. But where exactly does Mother's Day come from?

It depends what country you live in. Australians celebrate the day on the second Sunday in May, following the lead of the USA, as do several countries around the world. The idea of a 'Mother's Day' was first suggested in the USA by social activist Julia Ward Howe, who was inspired by Mothering Sunday in the UK.

Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent (three weeks before Easter), Mothering Sunday began way back in the 1600s. Historians believe it stemmed from the tradition of people visiting their nearest big church on this day. Usually a cathedral, this church was called the 'Mother' church, so people went 'mothering'.

Traditionally, this was also the one day a year that young people in service were given a day off to go and visit their family. It's thought that, over the years, the traditions of visiting the mother church and one's actual mother combined to become known as Mothering Sunday.

Centuries later in the USA, Julia Ward Howe's cause for a recognised Mother's Day had been taken up by a woman called Ann Jarvis. She tried to establish a Mother's Work Day to help improve working conditions for women. Ann died in 1905 and her daughter, Anna, took up the cause.

Anna's big break came in 1907 on the second Sunday in May — the second anniversary of her mother's death — when she distributed 500 white carnations to women in the congregation of the church where her mum used to teach. The custom caught on and in 1914 US President Woodrow Wilson officially declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Over the years the celebration gathered momentum and became almost too successful for its own good — to the point where Anna spent the rest of her life fighting the commercialisation of the day she'd helped establish. She despised the fact that people bought greetings cards instead of writing their mum a letter and is quoted as saying she wished she'd "never started the day because it became so out of control".

She had a point. Mother's Day is now one of the most commercially successful days of the year, with billions of dollars spent on gifts, flowers and cards around the world. But in these belt-tightening times, maybe it's time to revert to Anna's ideal and focus on the sentiment behind Mother's Day rather than the cost of the present you buy...

Next: Budget-balancing Mother's Day gift ideas