Mothers Day is Sunday May 10th.  Life in college can be stressful…and sometimes kids forget to call their mothers on special days, like Mother’s Day.  And presents?  Well, that’s another story all together!

Mothers Day 2009 can be different, however.  Some kids might even get their act together, and order flowers for their mothers on time for Mother’s Day!  It’s great for shock value, too!  

 This video explains how to order flowers online so that you get what your mom likes and reminds you of some very important Mother’s Day tactics…like calling your mom early on Mothers Day.  

By Ilana Schreiber

Mother’s Day is celebrated each year in the United States on the second Sunday of the month. Hallmark reports that nearly 96% of consumers in the United States take part in spending on Mother’s day, and the National Retail Foundation reflects that  Mother’s Day is a $14 Billion industry.  Though many have come to refer to this largely commercialized holiday as a “Hallmark Holiday,” it was not, in fact invented by the greeting card gurus in an effort to boost consumer spending.  In contrast, the holiday was derived from the intentions of tribute, honor, and women’s activism for peace, and engenders a history of battle against commercialism from the start.

Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis’ work with women’s organizations in Virginia created the first sparks toward the establishment of Mother’s Day as a national holiday in the United States. In the mid 1800’s, Jarvis organized a series of Mothers’ Day Work Clubs, with the goal of improving health and sanitary conditions within communities. During the Civil War, Jarvis urged the clubs to focus on providing relief and care to both Union and Confederate soldiers, with a stance of neutrality. The clubs treated the wounded and regularly fed and clothed soldiers stationed in the area. Jarvis also succeeded in maintaining a thread of peace and reconciliation in a community being torn apart by political differences. In the summer of 1865, Ann Jarvis organized a Mothers’ Friendship Day at the courthouse in her hometown. Her mission was to bring together soldiers and neighbors of all political beliefs. Though many feared that the day would erupt in violence, the event triumphed and Mother’s Friendship Day became an annual event for a few more years.

In 1872, inspired by her desire for peace and her search for a means of women’s expression, Julia Ward Howe began proclaiming that June 2 every year would be “Mother’s Day for Peace.” Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, put forward the idea of a Mother’s Day as a day dedicated to peace in the spirit of women’s activism, and though her day was never adopted at the congressional or presidential level, the holiday was informally adopted and celebrated in many cities and towns by 1873, and continued to be celebrated in some parts of the country until the early 1900’s.

In 1905 when Ann Jarvis died, her daughter, Anna, decided to pay tribute to all of her mother’s work and accomplishments. Anna stopped working and fully dedicated herself to the creation of Mother’s Day, tirelessly petitioning a wide span of institutions and organizations, business leaders, women’s groups, churches and state and federal governments, including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt. In 1907, Anna Jarvis held a ceremony to honor her mother in Grafton, West Virginia, and included white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, in the ceremony. When word spread, federal officials were soon sporting white carnations on Mother’s Day, after the House of Representatives adopted a resolution requiring them to do so. By 1912, Mother’s day had become an officially recognized holiday in West Virginia, and two years later, in 1914, Anna’s hard work met with success when President Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Initially, the celebrations of Mother’s Day involved people attending church and writing letters to their mothers. After some time, people began celebrating by sending cards, presents and flowers. Anna Jarvis became angered at the commercialization of the holiday, believing that the sentiment of Mother’s Day was being sacrificed for profit and greed. In 1928 she filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day event, and she was later arrested for disturbing the peace at a mother’s convention where white carnations were being sold. In the 1930’s Anna also petitioned against a newly released postage stamp, which displayed her Mother, a vase of white carnations, and the word “Mother’s Day.” Though she was successful in having the words “Mother’s Day” removed, the flowers remained. In 1938, Time Magazine featured Anna’s battle to copyright Mother’s Day, but by then, the commercial trend had prevailed.

So, however we choose to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, let us all take some time to remember and honor the many women who stood for peace and tradition before us, without whose lives and dedication could we be celebrating today.

 
Mothers’ Day: Its History, Origin, Celebration, Spirit And Significance, As Related In Prose And Verse

By Megan Jungwi

Guatemala is a third world country holding some of the poorest women in Central America. Most Guatemalans live on $2.00 a day and women still suffer from gross inequalities. However, Mother’s Day is recognized in Guatemala and every year mothers throughout the country are celebrated by the nation.

In 1968 Guatemala’s Congress formally declared May 10^th as Mother’s Day. Decree 1794 stated that ‘the mother is the foundation of the family and from her come the morals and spiritual norms that extend to all civilized people’. The decree also explained that the purpose of Mother’s Day was to recognize the importance of mothers, ‘exalting her before the whole Republic, in order to strengthen in the conscience of Guatemalans her high spiritual significance…as a source of perpetual inspiration”. In addition to acknowledging the importance of mothers Congress also declared that mothers who work for the State and for certain companies would be able to take the day off with pay.

Today, many children also get time off from school in order to celebrate Mother’s Day and wish their mother a “Feliz día de las madres”. On Mother’s Day morning children wake up and go their mother’s room to give her gifts. Some families will visit grandmothers throughout the day, having breakfast with one and dinner with the other. Some families will invite many mothers to their home, play games, exchange gifts and give advice. 

Guatemala certainly took a step in the right direction in creating Mother’s Day and acknowledging the importance mothers play to society. However, many mothers are too worried about poverty, malnutrition, and the burdens of prejudice to be able to truly celebrate their day. Respect for women and mothers is still not as pervasive throughout Guatemalan society as it must be.

So on your Mother’s Day take a moment to reflect on the plight of Guatemalan women and other women throughout the world whose rights are still being compromised or denied.

“Feliz día de las madres”

Dana Plazyk of Flowers By Design shows us how to make a flower corsage using Real Touch Flowers silk flowers that will remind Mom how special she is all year long.

A List of Materials used is available

View Flowers By Design YouTube Channel To See All How-To Videos

By Lacey Johnson

Mother’s Day in New Zealand is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May, and it is commonly referred to as “Mum’s Day.”   New Zealanders celebrate Mother’s Day as a way to “thank mothers for their efforts in bringing them up and caring for them.”  Unlike other countries, they celebrate all mothers:  mothers of friends, coworkers and  other relatives.   Mother’s day in New Zealand is important because 86% of women in their forties have at least one child.  Unlike some other countries, the median age of birth in New Zealand is thirty.

 Just like the American tradition, the “Mum’s Day” celebration in New Zealand can be traced back to a festival in honor of Rhea in Ancient Greece,  was the mother of Greek gods.  This festival was originally held during the Ides of March (March 15) through March 18.  The celebration of Mother’s Day in New Zealand can also be traced back to the Matronalia celebration of ancient Rome.  This was a Roman holiday that was dedicated to Juno, where gifts were given to mothers.

New Zealanders celebrate Mother’s Day with the same basic traditions of other countries.  They serve their mothers’ breakfast in bed and prepare special cakes similar to the ones prepared for Mothering Sunday in England and other European countries.  They give their mothers a rest from the daily household chores and their daily kitchen work.  Mothers are typically pampered with spa and beauty treatments on this day.  It is also a very common practice to take mum out for a luncheon picnic followed by dinner later in the evening at a restaurant.

Happy Mum’s Day!

By Khyria Cepe

Romania celebrates Mother’s Day on March 8th, which coincides with the International Women’s Day. Honoring women, especially mothers and grandmother, has been made especially important in Romania by the fact that a draft law based on citizen-initiative has been submitted in 2008. Just like the rest of the world, events that recognize and empower exemplary women in the country are held throughout the country. On March 8th, mothers in Romania, are greeted a “Happy Mother’s Day!” or “Ziua mamei!” with a kiss and are given presents of flowers, jewelry or chocolates. Most of them are treated to dinners and concerts by their husbands and children.

Traditionally, however, Mother’s Day is associated with the Mărţişor (or little March), a celebration of spring, celebrated on the first of March, symbolized by a red and a white woolen thread braided into a trinket. Women, young and old, receive a Mărţişor charm on this day, also referred to as “martisor.” They pin the charm to their collar for nine days. One of the many meanings of the Mărţişor  equates mothers with light and love. Traditionally, the life-givers of the family braid the threads of the Mărţişor.  This celebration is also related to the old Dochia, who is a goddess of farming in Romanian folklore. The old Dochia is reminiscent of the great mother goddesses of the Greeks and Romans for whom the ancient mother’s day celebrations were held. She is a deity symbolizing fertility, and her rebirth (spring) after death (winter) is much awaited.

One could probably say that the first week of March, the start of spring, is dedicated to women in Romania. From the Martisor day, the commemoration of the old Dochia, and the celebration of International Women’s Day, women are the central figure in these festivities. The week is filled with a unique blend of traditional celebrations to a modern occasion with a political flavor that reminds everyone of the role of a woman in the society.

“Ziua mamei!” 

By Veronica Hankey 

It is a privilege to serve our family because that’s what good leaders do, they lead by example.   Do you inspire your family members with a vision so magical that they can almost see the fairydust? This is not just for the realm of never never land and fairy tales. You can have anything if you want it badly enough. What do you wish for?

Some of the oldest festivals were held in honor of the first fruit of the land. It is about hope, desire, faith and values. Think of the values you instill in your home such as love, peace, joy, kindness and respect towards all. Give thanks that you have been entrusted with this responsibility. Your own generosity, thoughtfulness, intelligence and wisdom often goes by unnoticed. However you are not alone, there is always someone watching, ready to sustain and equip you.

Mothers seldom draw rave reviews and recommendations from those closest to them. It’s mostly about constant upgrading and meeting the demands and needs of a growing family. Celebrate your leadership and mothership potential. Take a few cuttings of evergreens from the garden, find some flowers and put them in a special place.  Put on the kettle and make yourself a cup of tea. Sing a little song like “Polly, put the kettle on!” just to get  in the mood. Light a fragrant candle and just sit and imagine. Then write it down. What do you really want that money can’t buy?

The story of Pollyanna, the daughter of a poor missionary is  a good illustration. Her father was always preaching the good news to anyone who will listen. The preacher pointed out that the Good Book recorded more than eight hundred instructions to give thanks, rejoice and be glad. The real test comes when Pollyanna writes out her gift wish list, and somehow she  mistakenly receives a pair of crutches instead of the china doll that she had requested. Her father tries to console her by making up a game, and so the “Glad Game” is invented. After Pollyanna’s father dies she is sent to live with her aunt who is wealthy but also very stern and moody. However Pollyanna transforms the community with jovial attitude and enthusiasm for life. The sick get better, the lonely find friends or sweethearts, marriages become happy and everyone learns to look on the bright side of life.  Pollyanna may be an outdated story but even in the fields of science they have discovered that there is something to this happiness business. Perhaps this is what will transform the ordinary cobwebs into threads of gold and silver. Let’s clear our minds of clutter and become who we really are.

If you continue to do things the way you’ve always done it, you can’t expect anything different or unique. What do you want to change? This is the time for asking. Ask those around you to help so that you can bring about the changes you desire.  Once you have the answers to these questions let everyone else out there know that you’ll jump through hoops to make these changes. Start developing that plan for a memorable experience they will be keen to repeat. Make everyone in your family responsible and accountable for producing a unique result. Then build it into your plan for change and ensure that everyone knows how to deliver above and beyond  expectations.  Spread the message of how you intend to change your world.

As a mother you are a vital part of the creative process. Mothers of great value, sprinkling gold dust  and creating a bright new world, filled with rejoicing and prosperity.  

Happy Mother’s Day!

By Katherine Krakhmal

Mothers have always been respected and considered the central figure in Russian culture, responsible for passing on traditions from generation to generation.  Officially, however, Mother’s Day  in Russia is a relatively new celebration.

On January 30, 1998 Boris Yeltsin, then President of the Russian Federation, decreed that a new holiday, “Mother’s Day,” would be celebrated on the last Sunday of November from that day forth, following an initiative by the State Duma Committee on Women, Family and Youth Affairs.  The purpose of this holiday was to celebrate women, particularly mothers.  On this day, mothers’ selfless sacrifice, unconditional love and kindness was to be remembered and celebrated.

According to Russian tradition, a woman reveals her best attributes—kindness, love and concern—when she becomes a mother.  And so it is that on Mother’s Day, children of all ages take this opportunity to thank their mothers for everything a mother does.  Typically, mothers are showered with flowers and cards and congratulated with heart-full wishes.  Of course, as in any other place of the world, what mom most enjoys is to be with her children and grandchildren.

Mothers play a special role in Russian families and there are many proverbs that allude to the fact, such as:   “Not having a husband is like not having a head…but not having a wife is like not having a mind.” or “The morning is wiser than the evening  and so is the wife.” or “All the bits in the family come from the mother.”  In Russia the mother is considered responsible for the ethical and moral education of her children, and is a responsibility which she takes very seriously.

Although Mother’s Day in Russia is held in November, it truly feels like a spring day.  Cheerfulness and joy abounds and you can almost hear all the mothers’ hearts sing…

“Счастливого Дня Матери!”

By Lacey Johnson

Mothers in Sweden can rejoice!  According to a study of the best and worst countries to be a mother in, published by a U.S. based independent   global  humanitarian organization, Save the Children, Sweden ranks as number one!   Mother’s day in Sweden is celebrated on the last Sunday in May.  Unlike other countries, Mother’s Day is recognized as a family holiday and is not isolated to just mothers and their children.  It can be compared to an American family birthday celebration.

 Mother’s day in Sweden is a direct import from the Mother’s Day concept celebrated within the United States.  It became officially recognized in the country in 1919.  At that time, the government distributed literature, in brochure form, outlining the various types of festivities that were allowed to be partaken in, in honor of this holiday.  The holiday gained widespread, countrywide popularity once it was promoted within the church and schools sometime in the 1930’s.          

The festivities that take place today are the same that were outlined in the distributed pamphlet back in 1919.  Country folk sing songs, read poems,  ask for forgiveness and make promises to mend their ways.  The countries flag is flown in honor of all the mothers countrywide.  Mothers are treated to a day of rest and usually breakfast in bed.  On this day coffee is the drink of choice.  Just like in the majority of other countries, there is also a designated flower on this day, the chrysanthemum.   Also like in other countries, white symbolizes that the mother has passed whereas any of the other colors represents all mothers still living.

The most notable tradition in this country and what sets Sweden apart from all of the other countries around the world is what occurs during the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day.  During these weeks, the Swedish Red Cross sells small, usually plastic flowers, but sometimes roses on the streets.  The money collected from this sale is then distributed to local mothers and children in need.

“Glad mors dag!”

By Veronica Hankey

The young mother set out on the path of life,
‘Is it a long way?’ she asked
And the guide said: ‘Yes the road could be long, with many a winding turn…but the end will be better than the beginning’.
The young mother was happy and played with her children, they gathered flowers along the way and bathed in clear streams with shafts of sunlight shining down on them.
And the young mother said, ‘Nothing could ever be more beautiful than this time on the road’.

Then the night came, bringing a storm and the path became dark,
The children were scared and cold, so the mother sheltered them under her loving arms and draped her shawl around them.
And the children were not afraid for the mother was near, and nothing harmful happened to them.

And the morning came and the path led up a steep mountain
The children climbed and became tired, and the mother became weary,
But she said to the children, ‘Just a few more steps and with some perseverance we’ll be there
So they climbed and got to the top.
It was a beautiful sight and the children said, ‘Mother, we could not have done it without you.’
And the mother looked up at the sky and said, ‘Today my children have learned persistence and courage even when the climb was long’.

A few days later there were strange clouds which darkened the earth with war, famine, hate and evil.
The children groped and stumbled and the mother said, ‘Look up! Lift your eyes to the light beyond the clouds”.
And the light guided them to a place of safety.

And when the mother lay down she looked up at the sky and said, ‘This is a better place on the road, for my children have learned to have faith in God, and walk the road with courage. They have experienced hope and love and have become strong.

And when the mother grew old and the way was rough, they lifted her until they came to the gates of gold,
And the mother smiled and looked at her children and said, ‘You are ready to walk alone’
And the children said, ‘You will always be with us…in the rays of the sun, the smell of a home cooked meal, laughter and love’.
That is why a mother is more than a fond memory …. she is the pulse of every heart in her home….even when she is gone from this world.

And to the mother who remains here and whose child went on beyond the light,
A mother and child reunion will come with the dawning of a bright new age,
Look up! Lift your eyes to the light beyond the clouds,and have faith that your child awaits you there,
For they know …… love will never fail them