March 21 – here in Egypt we celebrated a Mother`s Day. And because I am a teacher so I could see how this occasion truly takes places.
There is a really a lot of difference from European style of celebrating Mother`s Day. Lets look at it with me…
Celebrating in the school
Preparing on this occasion started a weeks ago. The teachers of art and music had to prepare a lot of stuffs. They prepared a performance for a mothers in singing and dancing and prepared a game for the children and mother. Also had to prepare a decoration, photo frame, and crafts for the mothers. And also printed a t-shirt as a surprise with a writting I LOVE MUM.
When the DAY D came most of the teachers went to the school soon at morning around 7 am and started to prepare the decoration to the final looking. The celebrating was happening on the playground and the weather was sunny and temperature very nice.
Teachers moved a tables and chair for the mothers on the playground and everywhere put a heart shaped balloons and inscription – I love my mum. Also moved there a piano and microphone etc. Then everything was ready and we were waiting just on the mothers and the show could start.
All the mothers came around 10 am. And when they sit and felt comfortable, we moved the children on the playground and performance started with a collective lovely song about how much they love the mum. Then children sang songs one by one and also were dancing and all the mother looked very happy and each of them took a millions photos of her own child.
After the performance finished then the shock for me started. All the mothers gave a gift to the teachers. I must say this is something what I saw for the first time in my life. Of the meaning of Mothers day – the mother is the one who should received a gift and not teacher. For me it was really weird but then my colleagues explained me that the teachers are regarded as the mothers of the children who they teach. And the mothers appreciate it very much.
The most common gift for the teacher was a CUPS OR PERFUME. Its something like a tradition here. But also they got a chocolate, wallet, flowers, t-shirt etc…
At the end all the mothers took a photo in the photo frame with their child and also greeted their favorite teachers and what I love on this they treat to each other as a friends. Its really too lovely. Then we told goodbye and Mothers day ended.
Mother`s Day in Normal family
Beside the school, every family also celebrate Mothers day in home. Mostly it look like that all children go for their mothers and have a lunch together then the mum received cake and a gifts. Sometimes expensive gifts and sometimes not expensive ones. Depends on the family situation.
But even Mothers day is not Islamic occasion, most of the Egyptian mothers adore it and want to celebrate it too much.
But from my own opinion the TEACHERS got much more gifts then a mothers. So I would call this day actually a Teacher`s Day . Sometimes its really a nice to be a teacher 😀 .
Books I wrote, you can read here:
The Niqab Girl 
Thank you for sharing your story. Do they have male teachers in Egypt? Do they join the Mother’s Day event and receive gifts also? – Brick
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You very welcome. Yes of course we have male teachers on everything, sport, science, english etc.. the same as women. There is no difference. But Mothers Day is only for women. The male helped prepare the performance but the gifts receives only women. 🙂 But I am sure at the end of school year even a male will receive gifts from the students.
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