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Lesson Transcript

Hi everyone, I'm Alisha.
Mother's Day is held on the second Sunday in May of every year. It's one of the most important commercial holidays in the nation. The holiday is over one hundred years old and was officially declared a federal holiday in 1914. Originally, the holiday was celebrated by hanging a flag to recognize the mothers who had a child who died in war. Today, it has no association with war whatsoever.
The first Mother's Day celebrations were associated with a particular movement. Do you know what movement with which it was associated?
We’ll show you the answer at the end of this video.
Mother's Day is, just as the name implies, a celebration of everything to do with mothers. It's common for people to buy expensive gifts for their mothers or, at the very least, to send them a card showing their appreciation. Mother's Day cards have become among the most commercially successful items associated with the holiday. It's one of the times of year where card companies are just swamped, more so than other occasions.
In the United States, children will sometimes really go over the top for their mothers on this holiday. This is particularly true of sons. In families where there is more than one son, it's not uncommon for all of them to compete to get the best gift for their mother. This is truly a day where motherhood is venerated in the United States.
While motherhood is the main theme behind Mother's Day, people in the United States only celebrate this holiday for their own mothers. It's rare for people to give Mother's Day gifts to anybody but their own mother. Some families may include the grandmothers in the celebrations but, by and large, this is a holiday celebrated within the nuclear family.
The International Mother's Day Shrine is a historic landmark in the United States where the inaugural Mother's Day celebration was held.
And now here's the answer to the quiz.
Do you know what movement the first Mother's Day celebrations were associated with?
Some of the first Mother's Day celebrations were connected to the temperance movement, the movement behind the prohibition laws that went into effect in the early twentieth century. Today, however, Mother's Day is completely apolitical.
How was this lesson? Did you learn something interesting?
Is there a day dedicated to mothers in your country?
Please leave a comment at EnglishClass101.com
Until next time!

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