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Sunday 8 May 2016

Happy Mother's Day

With Mother's Day in North America today, some of the traditions around the celebration of our Moms come to mind. In Corner Brook, Newfoundland years ago, the day was commemorated on a community level. The children made flowers by twisting crepe paper into the shape of roses, often leaving their hands full of dye. The color of the rose was significant, red for a living mother, 

 

white for the deceased. 

 

Men wore the appropriate rose in their lapels and they dressed in suits and ties, attending Church on Sunday afternoon. 

Many families attended the Salvation Army Church in the afternoon where the Sunday school children did a pageant for the mothers. At the end of the pageant children pinned the flowers on their mothers. People came together at that church to celebrate the occasion regardless of religious affiliation.

In our family, for the last number of years, we celebrate with a meal of lobsters, the first of the season. This tradition started in Newfoundland, before we moved to Prince Edward Island. This year the lobster season started on time compared to the delay last year because of ice conditions around our island home. Even the girls, three and five, each eat a regular size lobster now.

 

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers! Whether the roses are red or white, you are always in our minds and hearts. 

10 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

When I was a kid on the prairies, everyone wore crepe paper flowers for Mother's Day too, in the colours you mention. But our flowers were carnations and they were sold door to door by some organization (can't remember which, now -- probably a "women's auxiliary" of some church or group).

Mage said...

What a very nice post.

DJan said...

I don't remember Mother's Day being celebrated to the extent is is today when I was little. I do remember making my mother homemade cards because she preferred them to store bought ones. :-)

Marie Smith said...

Interesting parallel with some similarities.

Marie Smith said...

Thank you, Mage.

Marie Smith said...

The commercialism today is ridiculous IMO. Our girls do cards too which find a place on the fridge until the next occasion.

Down by the sea said...

What a wonderful way to celebrate Mother's Day. Sarah x

Marie Smith said...

The old ways are nice!

Tomoko said...

Wow...!! Your lobsters are quite different from ours. Such big claws!

Marie Smith said...

The claws can be quite big, Tomoko!