CubaPLUS Magazine

In Cuba, more than a tradition, the celebration of Mother's Day has become a great national holiday, because every second Sunday of May there is not one Cuban home that stops celebrating this day as a great tribute to the being that we gave life away. There are many ways to celebrate that day on the Island: some offer mothers a succulent dinner, other numerous gifts, other parties with the family and others, those who are far from that loved one, send him allegorical postcards to date.

Those who have their deceased mother go to the cemetery with floral offerings. But, yes, no one forgets to pay tribute to their mother. A tradition that is guarded with suspicion is that on that day, everyone goes out with a flower adorning the chest. Red when the mother is still alive and white when she passed away. Although today, especially the youngest have been leaving behind that custom. According to historical documents, Mother's Day has been celebrated in Cuba since 1920, thanks to the initiative of journalist Víctor Muñoz, who wrote an article published in the newspaper &El Mundo" that advocated the official establishment of that celebration on the second May Sunday.

According to what has been known, the idea arose from a meeting in the society "Centro de Instrucción y Recreo" (Center for Instruction and Pleasure) in Santiago de las Vegas, in the province of Havana, where every night a group of citizens from that town met to chat and exchange ideas.

On the night of April 19 of the same year, one of the interlocutors proposed to set aside one day each year to pay tribute to parents, which was unanimously welcomed. That May 10 was when the celebration began in Cuba, although it was officially established on April 27, 1921, at the proposal of the Councilor and journalist, Víctor Muñoz, in the then Municipal Term of Havana. From that date, every second Sunday in May, all Cuban mothers receive the tribute of their children and, this year, it will be no less but a little different, since all families will celebrate this beautiful day at home, due to hygienic conditions imposed on us by the new coronavirus, due to the need to take care of everyone's health.