MOTHERS DAY TRIVIA

With Mothers Day fast approaching, we all are making plans to send our beloved mom's flowers and cards or do something really special for her in some way. Well, I've always wondered how Mothers Day came about. Not to insinuate that all of us mothers don't definitely deserve a holiday all our own, but just out of curiosity. I came across this article on the history of this wonderful holiday and wanted to share it with everyone, just in case, you too were curious (courtesy of Real Simple magazine).

Buy bouquet of flowers, sign greeting card, eat brunch. This is the typical Mother's Day routine. But have you ever stopped to wonder how this holiday came into existence? In 1906, a year after her mother's death, a Philadelphia woman, Ann Jarvis began campaigning for a day on which all Americans would celebrate their moms. After spreading the word through church meetings and writing letters to government representatives and businessmen, she had nearly all 46 states observing Mother's Day within three years, and in 1914, it became a national holiday.

Since then, Americans have found different ways to show they care, including wearing pink or white carnations in honor of mom, making her breakfast in bed, and buying her expensive jewels. As for Jarvis, she devoted her last years to decommercializing Mother's Day, because she felt it's original meaning had been lost. So when you honor your mother this year, remember Jarvis's simple description of the day's purpose. " To let mothers know we appreciate them, though we do not show it as often as we should". Here is a a look at how we have celebrated our mom's over the years:

* People in ancient Greece paid tribute to Rhea, the mother of the gods, with honey cakes, fine drinks, and flowers at dawn. This was the earliest Mother's Day celebration.

* In Britain, during the Middle Ages, it was customary for the wealthy to give the servants the day off on Mothering Sunday (the fourth Sunday of Lent) so they could visit their mother's bedroom and gently tie her feet with ribbon or string. To negotiate her release, the mother gives the children small gifts. (Not much in it for mom, but she does get to lie down for a bit).

So how will you celebrate Mother's Day this year?

Erin