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Variety
Today is Mother's Day:
A special tribute to mothers
W e in Sri Lanka definitely do not need a special day like Mother's
Day to remember and appreciate the love, dedication and sacrifices a
mother generally makes for the welfare of her children. The majority of
Sri Lankans love and honour their parents giving pride of place to the
mother, especially, because our culture has inculcated such values in
us. But, unfortunately modern life has led to many neglecting their
parents today. Perhaps, in this context it is good to focus our
attention on this day in the hope that it would at least jolt the
conscience of those who are guilty of neglecting their mothers, even
allowing them to languish in elders' homes, far away from their loved
ones.
Mother's Day is an annual holiday that recognises mothers, motherhood
and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that
they make to society. In the United States, it is celebrated on the
second Sunday in May.
The modern Mother's Day is celebrated on various days in many parts
of the world, most commonly in May, though also in March, as a day to
honour mothers and motherhood. In the United States it was nationally
recognised as a holiday in 1914 after a campaign by Anna Jarvis. In some
countries, it follows the old traditions of Mothering Sunday.
In its present form, Mother's Day was established by Anna Marie
Jarvis, following the death of her mother Ann Jarvis on May 9, 1905,
with the help of a Philadelphia merchant called John Wanamaker. A small
service was held in 12 May 1907 in the Andrew's Methodist Episcopal
Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna's mother had been teaching
Sunday school. But the first "official" service was on May 10, 1908 in
the same church, accompanied by a larger ceremony in the Wanamaker
Auditorium in the Wanamaker's store on Philadelphia. She then campaigned
to establish Mother's Day as a U.S. national holiday, and later as an
international holiday.
The holiday was declared officially by the state of West Virginia in
1910, and the rest of states followed quickly. On May 8, 1914, the U.S.
Congress passed a law designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's
Day and requesting a proclamation. On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow
Wilson issued a proclamation, declaring the first national Mother's Day,
as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honour of those
mothers whose sons had died in war. In 1934, U.S. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt approved a stamp commemorating the holiday.
In May 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives voted twice on a
resolution commemorating Mother's Day, the first one being unanimous so
that all congressmen would be on record showing support for Mother's
Day. The Grafton's church, where the first celebration was held, is now
the International Mother's Day Shrine and is anational historic
landmark.
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Making her dream, a reality
Muditha is my mother. She is a housewife. She is tall and thin.
She can cook very well. She cooks tasty fried rice. She helps me to
do my home work and she always gives me good advice. She is the one who
taught me good habits. She is my first teacher. She likes to eat Pizza.
She always dresses nicely. Her dream is to make me a good citizen. I try
my best to make her dream come true.
Samadhi Wijesundara,
Grade 4,
Ceylico Sussex College,
Kurunegala.
An honourable woman
She is my life,
She is my blood,
She is my wish,
I love her a lot.
She is my mother,
She gives protection,
She gives education,
Always for me.
Keep the family happy,
Solves all the problems,
Lives very peacefully,
Everyday with us,
She loves me,
Shows the correct path,
Teaches good habits,
For my success.
S.N.B.M. Hiruni Amasha,
Grade 8P,
Tholangamuwa Central College.
The most interesting person I have met
My mother is the most interesting person that I ever met in my life.
She is very kind and helpful and is always trying to instill good
manners in me. She always tells me right from wrong. She also educates
me as to how I should behave in society and obey the law and elders. She
also teaches me to pray. When I do any wrong, she gets angry, but when I
cannot do something, she is very sympathetic and helpful. She helps me a
lot in my studies. She also helps poor children and beggars. I love her
a lot.
U.D. Dilakshini Abeywickrama,
Grade 8, MR/ St. Thomas'
Girls' High School,Matara.
She's my favourite person
My favourite person is Rizalina. She is my mother. She is
thirty-eight years old. She was born in the Philippines. Her birthday is
on December 30. She is slim and fair. She likes to play badminton. When
she was young she had studied very well. Her hobby is watching dramas.
Her favourite place is Mitsubishi and Tokyo Disney land. Her favourite
fruit is strawberry. Her favourite drink is orange juice. She likes to
eat chocolates and jelly. Her favourite colour is blue. Her favourite
dress is the shalwar. She likes to eat sushi and rice balls. She is kind
and helpful. She helps me do my homework. She cooks very tasty food. I
love my mother very much.
Amara Basheer,
Grade 4B,
Hejaaz International School. |
