Mothers Day Food Cooking International Guide
Mothers Day Celebrated Around The World
By Jane Kliperrs
The carnation plays a key role in the history of Mothers Day.
Anna Jarvis, the woman ardently campaigning for the holiday, first
passed out 500 white carnations to members of her church to promote
the idea. The white carnation, she said, symbolized the purity
of a mother's love, and carnations were her deceased mother's
favorite flower, in fact.
The floral industry promoted the notion of wearing a red carnation
on Mothers Day if your mother was living and a white carnation
if your mother was deceased (mostly to help them during shortages
of white carnations). This is just one story of many regarding
Mothers Day special traditions.
Mothers Friendship Day
Ann Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, first caught headlines
for her plight during the Civil War to win more sanitary working
conditions and for pioneering "Mothers Friendship Day"
to reconcile post-Civil War family tensions. When she died, her
daughter, Anna, began a crusade of her own in 1907 to promote
Mothers Day by passing out 500 white carnations at her mother's
church in Grafton, West Virginia. She chose Sunday to make Mothers
Day special because it was already a day of rest and a holy day.
West Virginia declared the holiday in 1912 and Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed the first national holiday commemorating mothers in
1914, which designated the second Sunday of May for the celebration.
Campaigning Against Mothers Day Cards
Ironically, Jarvis was so angered by the commercialization of
Mothers Day that she filed a lawsuit to end a 1923 Mothers Day
special event. In 1948, she was arrested for "disturbing
the peace" at a mother's convention that sold white carnations.
She spent all her inheritance campaigning against Mothers Day
cards, which she viewed as "a poor excuse for a letter you
are too lazy to write."
She further lamented to a reporter, "I wish I would have
never started the day because it became so out of control."
She died an old maid, blind and penniless in 1948, yet the holiday
continues to be one of the biggest commercial occasions in the
US.
Special Simnel Cake For Your Mum
Mothers Day is also celebrated in Canada, Japan, China, India,
New Zealand, Mexico, Greece, Iran, Turkey, Denmark, Finland, Spain,
France, the UK, Australia and Ireland. To celebrate like the Brits,
you can review your options and buy your flowers for Mothers Day
as you usually do, but also whip up a special simnel cake made
of almonds, fruits and marzipan.
To celebrate like the French, you can host a family dinner and
present your mother with a cake that looks like a bouquet of flowers.
To celebrate like the Spanish, take your mother to church and
spend a moment praying to the Virgin Mary. To celebrate like the
Aussies, you can wear a red carnation to commemorate a living
mother or a white carnation to symbolize a deceased mother.
About the Author:
Jane Kliperrs has written a number of articles on party ideas, gift ideas and food including
Birthday Party Supplies,
Birthday Party Rental,
The Birthday Party,
Party Supplies,
Party Supply Tips,
Mothers Day Gift,
Wedding Gift Ideas,
Unique Gift.
Keep a lookout for more articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Most people want to do something very special for their mothers
on Mothers Day. Mom's deserve some special attention and gifts.
You can order your mom flowers. Those are always appreciated.
There are also other great gift ideas such as a "Gift of
the Month Club" membership. There are so many clubs to choose
from that you are certain to find one that she will truly appreciate
and love. If you truly want to be unique you may even want to
consider having a star named after her.
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