Every year on March 21, families across Egypt and the Arab world celebrate Mother’s Day—a day dedicated to honoring the love, sacrifices, and dedication of mothers. While the tradition of celebrating motherhood dates back to ancient civilizations, the modern version of Mother’s Day in Egypt has a unique origin, rooted in the country’s media landscape and the efforts of two pioneering journalists, Mostafa Amin and his twin brother Ali Amin. The concept of celebrating motherhood is far from new. In ancient Egypt, particularly during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE) and into the Greco-Roman period, women, especially mothers, were highly revered. The goddess Isis, often depicted nursing her son Horus, was considered the ultimate symbol of motherhood and protection. The annual festival in her honor involved floating boats filled with flowers along the Nile, a tradition that later influenced Greek and Roman celebrations of maternal figures. Over time, the celebration of mothers evolved from religious symbolism to a more personal appreciation of individual mothers. The modern idea of Mother’s Day began taking shape in the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in the United States, where activist Anna Jarvis successfully campaigned…
From Newsprint to National Celebration: How Egyptian Media Pioneered Mother’s Day
March 21, 2025
