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Springtime
in the Ozarks is indeed a special time, especially
the month of May, a time that is to certain degree
synonymous with treasured memories of seasons of
years gone by. We remember events such as prom
night, class trips, weddings in May, Mother's day,
Memorial Day, and other happenings, those fond
recollections that engrave themselves into the
recesses of our minds.
Mother's
day is a special day to everyone, but to those of
us who can no longer enjoy the physical company of
our Mother, we cherish those memories of those days
when Mom was still with us. Perhaps it was a
special dinner out or a picnic at the park, lake,
or river. Perhaps the chef of this delectable meal
was dear old Mom herself when all the clan
descended upon her house to enjoy her company and
her fine culinary skills. Whatever the case was, we
treasure those moments that seem so long ago. But
what is the history of Mother's day?
There
is evidence that we have been celebrating some sort
of Mother's day since the time of the ancient
Greeks who had certain spring celebrations in honor
of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. Centuries later
when Christianity spread throughout Europe these
Pagan, events were changed to honor the "Mother
Church". In England "Mothering Sunday" was a day in
which servants were allowed the day off to travel
to their Mother's home and spend the day in her
honor. But here in the United States there is a
slightly different history behind the "official"
day.
A
quick search on the Internet using the keywords
"the history of Mother's day" reveals conflicting
accounts of who first suggested an official day,
but the commonality of the accounts tells us that
it was suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who
wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic)
as a day dedicated to peace. Mrs. Howe wrote the
following proclamation;
"Arise, then,
women of this day!
Arise all women who
have hearts! Whether your baptism be that of
water or of tears!
Say firmly:
We will not have
questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our
husbands shall not come to us reeking with
carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not
be taken from us to unlearn all that we have
been able to teach them of charity, mercy and
patience.
We women of one
country will be too tender of those of another
country to allow our sons to be trained to
injure theirs.
From the bosom of
the devastated earth a voice goes up with our
own.
It says, 'Disarm,
Disarm!'
The sword of murder
is not the balance of justice! Blood does not
wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate
possession.
As men have often
forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons
of war, let women now leave all that may be left
of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first,
as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them then solemnly take counsel with each
other as to the means whereby the great human
family can live in peace, each bearing after
their own time the sacred impress, not of
Caesar, but of God.
In the name of
womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that
a general congress of women without limit of
nationality may be appointed and held at some
place deemed most convenient and at the earliest
period consistent with its objects, to promote
the alliance of the different nationalities, the
amicable settlement of international questions,
the great and general interests of peace."
In
1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a
campaign to establish a national Mother's Day.
President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the
official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a
national holiday that was to be held each year on
the 2nd Sunday of May.
Like
any season springtime also has its own folklore,
the farmers almanac web site cites the following
examples;
- When the down of a
dandelion contracts, it is a sign of rain.
- When spiders build
new webs, the weather will be clear.
- A dream of gardens
foretells great joy.
- An open anthill
indicates good weather; a closed one, an
approaching storm.
- Dust rising in dry
weather is a sign of an approaching change in
the weather.
- Mist in May, heat
in June
- Makes the harvest
come right soon. (i)
Although
in these modern times, brides sometime plan
weddings in Springtime, especially in the month of
May, but according to superstition, May was an
unpopular month for weddings. The following old
rhyme tells the story;
- Married when the
year is new, he'll be loving, kind and
true.
- When February birds
do mate, You wed nor dread your
fate.
- If you wed when
March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll
know.
- Marry in April when
you can, Joy for Maiden and for
Man.
- Marry in the month
of May, and you'll surely rue the
day.
- Marry when June
roses grow, over land and sea you'll
go.
- Those who in July
do wed, must labour for their daily
bred.
- Whoever wed in
August be, many a change is sure to
see
- Marry in
September's shrine, your living will be rich and
fine.
- If in October you
do marry, love will come but riches
tarry.
- If you wed in bleak
November, only joys will come,
remember.
- When December snows
fall fast, marry and true love will last.
Marry in May
and you'll live to rue the day?
May
has been considered an unlucky month to marry in
for a number of reasons. In Pagan times the start
of summer was when the festival of Beltane was
celebrated with outdoor orgies. This was therefore
thought to be an unsuitable time to start married
life. In Roman times the Feast of the Dead and the
festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred
in May. The advice was taken more seriously in
Victorian times than it is today. In most Churches
the end of April was a busy time for weddings as
couples wanted to avoid being married in May. Queen
Victoria is thought to have forbidden her children
from marrying in May. (ii)
Memorial
Day is yet another date in spring and of course May
that is a date that many of us have everlasting
memories of.
Originally
called Decoration Day, Memoral day is a day of
remembrance for those who have died in our nation's
service. There are many stories as to its actual
beginnings, with over two-dozen cities and towns
laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial
Day. There is also evidence that organized women's
groups in the South were decorating graves before
the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867,
"Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L.
Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the
South who are Decorating the Graves of the
Confederate Dead" (iii)
Memorial
Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by
General John Logan, national commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11,
and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers
were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate
soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1971,
Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be
held on the last Monday in May. This three-day
weekend holds memories for many of us as the first
holiday of summer, with trips to the lake, canoe
trips, floating or camping down on the river. But
on every Memorial day, especially this one, let us
remember those who have given their all, so that we
might have the freedom to enjoy this day and in the
future cherish memories of our adventures and
gatherings held on the last weekend of May.
acknowledgments:
(i) THE ALMANAC.COM
COMPANION, Folklore for the Season http://www.almanac.com/news/index.html
(ii) Wedding Customs And
Superstitutions, Bridestuff.com http://www.bridestuff.com/traditions/superstition.asp#daychoose
(iii) Memorial Day History
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html
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