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The History of Mother’s Day

09 Thursday May 2019

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sepia photography of flowers

Photo by Jordan Benton on Pexels.com

Think back to your last online shopping experience. Do you happen to recall any ads that you saw? We obviously can’t know for sure, but more than likely you saw something related to flowers, chocolates or other gifts, which can only mean Mother’s Day is upon us. To help commemorate the upcoming holiday, we thought we’d go through a quick history lesson. Without further ado, let’s get started!

The first celebrations of mothers go back to ancient Greece. Festivals were held to honor the mother goddesses known as Rhea and Cybele. The most modern version of the holiday was known as “Mothering Sunday,” in which adult children were encouraged to attend mass at their hometown church, then spend the day with mom. The custom eventually faded in popularity until merging with today’s holiday.

The celebration that we know today was created by Anna Jarvis. Her mother, Ann Jarvis, cared for wounded soldiers during the Civil War and became a community activist. As a child, Anna heard her mother say a prayer, hoping that one day there would be a Memorial Day for mothers to honor their good deeds. After Ann passed, Anna became making plans for the official holiday.

On the second anniversary of her mother’s death in 1905, Anna held a special church service in her honor. After a successful event, she took part in a fierce letter-writing campaign, in which she worked to persuade newspapers and politicians to add the holiday to the national calendar. By 1912, many states, towns and churches were already observing Mother’s Day as an annual holiday. Finally, in 1914, Woodrow Wilson officially recognized the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day.

Today, children all over the world shower their mothers with gifts, but the original idea was to simply spend the day together. Anna hoped that families would be able to attend church in the morning and visit in the afternoon. Gifts didn’t come until later on, and much to her dismay.

This Sunday, rather spending a lot of time and energy on finding the perfect flower arrangement or extravagant box of chocolates for mom, consider giving her a more thoughtful gift, the gift of quality time. Ask her how she would like to spend the day and shower her with attention. We can guarantee that a day together will be the ultimate gift.

Happy Mother’s Day from Lions Pride!

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A Short History of Saint Nicholas Day

06 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Giving Tips, Holidays, News, Special Events

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Today marks the beginning of another December holiday known as Saint Nicholas Day, aSaint Nicholas gift- giving holiday that stems from ancient Greece. Will you and your family be celebrating?

St. Nick’s Day is a big holiday in Europe but is not nearly as common here in the United States. It all started back in 4th century Greece. Nicholas’ parents died in an epidemic when he was a young boy but left him with a large sum of money. With his inheritance, he decided to use his wealth to help the sick, the needy and the suffering. His most popular act was to leaving gold coins in people’s shoes around the city. He became known across the land for his generosity. After dedicating his life of service to others, Nicholas of Myra was officiated as a bishop.

European immigrants brought their beliefs and associations around Saint Nicholas Day. The earliest records observe the holiday in big cities such as New York City in the early 1800s. Of course, the tradition has since evolved since making its way to North America. Today, children hang their stockings on the fireplace mantel and awake to small gifts of candy, games and other fun trinkets. However, there is always the chance that naughty children will wake to a sad lump of coal.

If you’ve been through a checkout line in a superstore anytime in the recent future, you know there are all sorts of stocking stuffer ideas out there. Kids of all ages will love stickers, candy, cookies, jewelry, toy cars, fruit, building blocks and bottles of nail polish. But we have an idea for another extra special gift to add to the list.

In addition to small knickknacks, consider teaching your children the value of charity by giving a donation in his or her name. Print off the certificate and add it to their stocking. Then you can explain to them how their special gift helps others. For example, with a donation to Lions Pride, they are helping children with special needs have fun at a week of summer camp, meeting new friends and building life-changing skills – an experience that he or she will treasure for a lifetime.

This holiday season, embody the spirit of Saint Nicholas with a gift that gives back. After all, isn’t it the reason behind season?

Happy Saint Nicholas Day from Lions Pride!

 

Celebrate the Season of Giving with St. Nick

07 Thursday Dec 2017

Posted by in Giving Tips, Holidays, Lions Camp, Special Events

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While we may not have any white, fluffy snow on the ground (as ofStockings Were Hung writing), there is no question that the holiday season has arrived. Yesterday was the celebration of St. Nicholas. Although the holiday is a popular one in Europe, the day isn’t widely celebrated here in the United States, and we think it’s time to change that!

The story of St. Nick goes back to 4th century Greece. Nicholas of Myra officiated as a bishop after dedicating his life to giving to others. Sadly, his parents died in an epidemic when he was young. With his extensive inheritance, Nicholas decided to use his wealth to help the less fortunate. His signature act was leaving gold coins in people’s shoes around the city. Today, children leave out stockings or shoes on the eve of St. Nicholas and awake to find them filled with small gifts and trinkets. Of course, there is always the possibility that those who have been naughty will find nothing more than a lump of coal.

We may have missed the official holiday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate the true meaning behind the season – focusing on giving more than receiving. Sometime in December, consider surprising your loved one by filling his or her stocking with fun, little gifts. There are endless possibilities for stocking stuffers – candy, jewelry, small toys, soap, notebooks, key chains and more. You can also include other intangible gifts such as a donation to their favorite charity in their honor.

By choosing to make a gift to Lions Pride, you can help us work to continue improving the lives of people all around Wisconsin. Your donation can help preserve, protect and provide for Lions Camp and all other WLF statewide projects – including eyeglass recycling, adult and children’s vision screening, diabetes education and more. If there is a project that is especially important to you or your loved one, simply designate the gift, and you can rest assured knowing that you’re helping the cause. Print the certificate and add it a stocking for a powerful gift that also gives back.

Together, we can all embody the spirit of St. Nicholas by remembering to include compassion and charity in our daily lives. After all, isn’t that the reason behind the season?

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

 

How is Easter Celebrated Around the World?

02 Thursday Apr 2015

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For many of us here in the United States, this Easter Sunday will be filled with Bilbydecorated eggs, jellybeans and rabbits, but the religious holiday is celebrated very differently around the world.

In Australia, the holiday is actually celebrated in the fall, but has similar customs to the United States. The biggest difference between the two is the pagan character. Rather than the bunny, you’ll see a bilby, which is a small rodent with a long nose, but rabbit-like ears.

In Norway, Easter is considered a religious holiday, but not celebrated as such. Many people retreat to their cabins or spend the weekend skiing. One unique tradition for Norwegians is the reading of Påskekrimmen (crime novels) or watching detective shows. In fact, nearly every TV channel produces a crime mystery specifically for Easter.

Greece Pot SmashingIn Greece, Easter Sunday is a truly joyous occasion. The first Resurrection is announced at 11 am; bells ring and bands parade the streets. People throw pots out the windows and off balconies that is believed to welcome spring and symbolize the new crops to be gathered in new pots.

In Mexico, you won’t see any bunnies or painted eggs. Typically, people go to Mass and celebrate quietly with their families. There are a few places where you will find music and dancing.

In Poland, Easter Sunday is similar to the United States celebration, but it’s the day after that sets us apart. On Easter Monday, boys try to drench other people with buckets of water and squirt guns. Legend says that girls who get soaked will marry within the year. (Brrr… this tradition sounds too cold for us!)

An interesting part to note is although we all celebrate the holiday differently; the reason behind the season remains the same. However you spend your holiday, Lions Pride wishes you and your family a happy Easter!

Sources:

http://www.indobase.com/holidays/easter/easter-traditions-around-the-world/easter-in-australia.html

http://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/celebrating-easter-across-cultures-2/#.VRrYrKMwmG8

http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/religion/easter_in_greece

http://gomexico.about.com/od/festivalsholidays/p/holy_week.htm

http://www.womansday.com/life/travel-tips/a1411/easter-traditions-from-around-the-world-105074/

The Story of Saint Nicholas

04 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by in Giving Tips, Lions Camp, Special Events

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TChristmas Stockingshis Saturday morning will mark the beginning of the lightly celebrated Saint Nicholas Day. Will you and your family be celebrating?

St. Nick’s Day is a big holiday in Europe but is surprisingly not as popular here in the United States. The tradition first began in 4th century Greece. Nicholas of Myra officiated as a bishop after dedicating his life to giving to others. Nicholas’ parents died in an epidemic when he was a young boy. With his large inheritance, he decided to use his wealth to help the less fortunate. His signature act was leaving gold coins in people’s shoes around the city.

The tradition has since evolved in North America. Today, children hang their stockings on the fireplace mantel on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day and awake to small gifts of candy, games and other fun trinkets. Of course, there is always the possibility that naughty children will wake to nothing, but a lump of coal if they have been bad throughout the year.

There are all sorts of stocking stuffer ideas out there for the children in your life. Little girls can receive bottles of nail polish; stickers or jewelry and little boys enjoy candy, toy cars and building blocks. Would you like to add another extra special gift to your child’s stocking? We have another idea to add to the list.

In addition to small games and delicious candy, teach them the value of charity by giving a donation in his or her name. Print off the certificate and add it to their stocking. The morning of Saint Nicholas Day, you can explain to them how this particular gift helps others. For instance with a donation to Lions Pride, they are helping children with special needs have fun at a week of summer camp, an experience that he or she will treasure for a lifetime.

Embody the spirit of Saint Nicholas with a gift that gives back. After all, it is the reason behind the season. Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Sources:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/common/saint-nicholas
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/
http://www.stnicksday.com