Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, hot fudge sundaes, Elvis and…mother’s
day? What does mother’s day have to do with these American icons? Mother’s
day – the celebration as we know it – started in America.
Sure, you can trace the roots of a mother’s day back to ancient Greece
and the Roman Empire. However, those celebrations were to worship the mothers
of their gods. What about Britain’s Mothering day? Mothering day was the
one day of the year when servants were allowed to leave their master’s
homes to visit their mothers. That tradition pretty much died out in the 19th
century.
Mother’s day is a day to remember, to honor and show our true appreciation
for the women who gave us life and it all began May 10, 1907 at St. Andrews
church in West Virginia.
Ana Reeves Jarvis conceived the first incarnation of
mother’s day in
1858; She named it “Mother’s work day”. This was a day set
aside for mothers to clean up their towns. She expanded her vision during the
civil war to improve the sanitation for both sides and to aide reconciliation
after the war. Ana Reeves Jarvis died in 1905.
Julie Ward Howe, a poet best
known for writing the lyrics to The Battle Hymn of the republic, took the idea
one step further. In 1872, she started a movement
called ‘Mothers Day for Peace.’ Her dream was to have one day set
aside to pay homage to peace, mothers and womanhood. The following year, eighteen
cities participated in ‘Mother’s Day for Peace’ rallies.
Boston hosted rallies annually. Eventually the observance faded out.
In 1905,
Ana Jarvis buried her mother, Ana Reeves Jarvis. The tears and sorrow inspired
mother’s day, as we know it. Ana Jarvis dedicated her life to
completing her mother’s work and institute once and for all a day set
aside to honor mothers everywhere, living and dead.
St. Andrews Church in Grafton,
West Virginia (Ana Reeves Jarvis’ church)
celebrated the first Mother’s Day on May 10, 1907. The following year,
forty-six states, Canada and Mexico held Mother’s Day services. Ana Jarvis
quit her job, giving up everything to lobby full time. The fruits of her labor
paid off. In 1914, President Wilson signed into law a joint resolution establishing
Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
Ana Jarvis is also responsible for
the tradition of carnations (her mother’s
favorite flower), a pink carnation is for mothers living and white if for those
mothers who have passed on.
- Santa Fe is not just the oldest capital city but is the highest capitol,
sitting at 7000 feet above sea level.
- New Mexico has the lowest water to land
ratio in the union. Only .002% of New Mexico’s surface area is water.
-
White Sands is not made of sand but white gypsum crystals.
- In 1950, fire fighters
rescued a bear cub while battling a forest fire in Lincoln County; they named
him Smokey the Bear.
- In 1869, a professional gambler founded Roswell, (famous
for a legendary UFO crash in 1948), by setting up a general store along a popular
cattle
trail.
Pollen’s in the air. Can you feel you feel the burn? Allergies to grass,
trees and weeds affect millions and for those who suffer, spring can be a
miserable time. Here are some simple tips to help minimize potential pollen
pollution.
- Avoid extended time outdoors between 5 am and 10 am.
- Shower before getting into bed, to wash pollen off hair and skin.
- Change into fresh clothes if you have been outdoors for a long time.
- Keep windows closed, especially on windy days.
- Keep windows closed in car and set air to recycle instead of on open vent.
- Keep pets clean and off furniture, especially beds.
- Use air purifiers with approved HEPA filter.
- Use vacuum cleaners with approved HEPA filters and vacuum regularly.
- Cover air conditioner vents with an approved HEPA filter.
In September 1878, President Hayes appointed Lew Wallace governor of the New
Mexico territory. Lew Wallace was famous for both his courage and diplomacy,
traits he demonstrated as a leader during the Mexican/American war and the
Civil war. Wallace’s main charge was to restore peace to Lincoln County.
The Lincoln county war made legends out of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. However,
this war was far more violent than most of the legendary stories go. Wallace
met with Billy the Kid on more than one occasion but turned his back on Billy.
Wallace knew that the Kid’s death would end the brutal war. Wallace was
right - it did. On July 14, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid.
The Lincoln county war was over and peace was restored to southern New Mexico.
Despite Lew Wallace’s place in New Mexico history, he is most famous
for his book, Ben Hur.
During World War II, the College of Santa Fe served as a stateside hospital.
Legend has it that a soldier recovering from wounds and a nurse became lovers.
In jealous and shell-shocked rage, the soldier murdered his lover, cut her
head off and buried her head somewhere on campus. The ghost of the slain nurse
wanders the barracks (which still stand) searching for her head. Some claim
to have seen the ghost while others claim to feel a cold chill and overwhelming
sorrow.
Ratifying their flag in 1895, Alabama patterned the crimson St. Andrews cross
after the confederate battle flag on a white background.
Historical note: St.
Andrew requested his crucifixion on an X shaped cross. He did not feel worthy
to die the same way as Jesus.
Alaska ratified their flag in 1926. The blue background represents
the state flower (Forget-me-not) and the Alaskan sky. The North Star shows
Alaska’s geographical status as the countries north most state. The
big dipper (the Great Bear) symbolizes strength.
Historical note: Bernie
Benson, a 13-year-old Alaskan designed the flag.
Contemporary
Furniture
Cart [
0
Items]
