敬重母亲、弘扬母爱的母亲节，至今已成为一个约定俗成的国际性节日。
母亲节起源于美国。1906年5月9日，美国费城的安娜·贾薇丝的母亲不幸去世，她悲痛
万分。在次年母亲逝世周年忌日，安娜小姐组织了追思母亲的活动，并鼓励他人也以类
似方式来表达对各自慈母的感激之情。此后，她到处游说并向社会各界呼吁，号召设立
母亲节。她的呼吁获得热烈响应。1913年5月10日，美国参众两院通过决议案，由威尔逊
总统签署公告，决定每年5月的第二个星期日为母亲节。这一举措引起世界各国纷纷仿
效，至1948年安娜谢世时，已有43个国家设立了母亲节。
日本的母亲节也是5月的第二个星期日。节日里人们送给母亲一枝红石竹，表示祝贺。
法国首次庆祝母亲节是在1928年，节日定在5月的最后一个星期日。节日这一天，数以
百万计的妈妈们，怀着喜悦的心情接受各自子女们的“节日愉快”的美好祝愿。
泰国于1976年宣布8月12日为母亲节。这一天也是泰王后丽吉的生日。节日里，全国要
开展“优秀母亲”的评选活动。儿女们手持芳香馥郁的茉莉花，献给自己的母亲。
阿拉伯地区的许多国家的母亲节定在3月21日“春分”这一天。当地人认为“春分”是
春天开始、一年之始，以此表示母亲的伟大。葡萄牙人的母亲节在12月8日；而印度尼
西亚则定在12月22日。
母亲节在我国是地区性节日，最早是在港澳台地区有此节日。改革开放后，母亲节也
为内地所接受。广东省于1988年开始，杭州等城市于1989年开始，都由各级妇联组织
母亲节的庆祝活动，并把评选“好母亲”作为节日的内容之一。
在母亲节许多人将康乃馨赠给母亲，这是源于1934年5月美国首次发行母亲节纪念邮票
。邮票上一位慈祥的母亲，双手放在膝上，欣喜地看着前面的花瓶中一束鲜艳美丽的
康乃馨。随着邮票的传播，在许多人的心目中把母亲节与康乃馨联系起来，康乃馨便
成了象征母爱之花，受到人们的敬重。康乃馨与母亲节便联系在一起了。人们把思念
母亲、孝敬母亲的感情，寄托于康乃馨上，康乃馨也成为了赠送母亲不可缺少的珍贵
礼品。
源自：《市场报》 |
| M... is for the million things she gave me,
O... means only that she's growing old,
T... is for the tears she shed to save me,
H... is for her heart of purest gold;
E... is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
R... means right, and right she'll always be.
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.
--Howard Johnson (c. 1915)
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History and Customs...
In the U.S. Mothers' Day is a holiday celebrated on second Sunday
in May. It is a day when children honor their mothers with cards
, gifts, and flowers. First observance in Philadelphia, Pa. in 1907
, it is based on suggestions by Julia Ward Howe in 1872 and Anna
Jarvis in 1907.
Although it wasn't celebrated in the U.S. until 1908, there were
days honoring mothers even in the days of ancient Greece. In those
days, however, it was Rhea, the Mother of the gods that was given
honor.
Later, in the 1600's, in England there was an annual observance
called "Mothering Sunday." It was celebrated during Lent, on the
fourth Sunday. On Mothering Sunday, the servants, who generally
lived with their employers, were encouraged to return home and honor
their mothers. It was traditional for them to bring a special cake
along to celebrate the occasion.
In the U.S., in 1908 Ana Jarvis, from Grafton, West Virginia, began
a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Jarvis persuaded
her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's
Day on the anniversary of her mother's death. A memorial service
was held there on May 10, 1908 and in Philadelphia the following
year where Jarvis moved.
Jarvis and others began a letter-writing campaign to ministers,
businessmen, and politicians in their quest to establish a national
Mother's Day. They were successful. President Woodrow Wilson, in
1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day a
national observance that was to be held each year on the 2nd
Sunday of May.
Many other countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day
at different times throughout the year. Denmark, Finland, Italy,
Turkey, Australia, and Belgium celebrate Mother's Day on the second
Sunday in May, as in the U.S.
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