23,870
Number of florists nationwide. Their 125,116 employees will be
especially busy selling bouquets for Mother's Day.
The flowers you buy mom probably were grown in California or
Colombia. Among states, California was the leading provider of
cut flowers in 2001, alone accounting for more than two-thirds
of the nation's total domestic production ($292 million out of
$424 million). Meanwhile, the value of U.S. imports of cut
flowers from Colombia, the leading foreign supplier to the
United States, during 2002 was $289 million.
The value of shipments of Mother's Day cards by greeting card
publishers totaled $147.9 million in 1992, up from $80.2 million
in 1987.
New Moms
4.0 million
Number of women who have babies each year. Of this number, about
450,000 are teens, and almost 100,000 are age 40 or over.
Overall, 14 percent (504,000) of all births in the United States
in 1995 were to foreign-born women; 43 percent of these 504,000
births were to women born in Mexico.
24.8
Median age of women when they give birth for the first time -
meaning one-half are above this age and one-half are below. The
median age has risen nearly three years since 1970.
Still, the median age of women who gave birth in 1993 was 26.4
years; those giving birth for the first time were 23.8 years.
These median ages were 1.0 and 1.7 years older respectively than
they were 20 years earlier.
40
Percentage of births taking place annually that are the mothers'
first. Another 33 percent are the second; 17 percent, the third;
and 11 percent, the fourth or more.
36,000
Number of births each year attended by physicians, midwives or
others that did not occur in hospitals.
1-in-33
The odds of a woman delivering twins. Her odds of having
triplets or other multiple births was approximately 1-in-539.
August
The most popular month in which to have a baby, with more than
360,000 births taking place that month in 2001.
Tuesday
The most popular day of the week in which to have a baby, with
an average of more than 12,000 births taking place on Tuesdays
during 2001.
Working Moms
55
Percentage of mothers in the labor force with infant children,
down from a record 59 percent in 1998. This marks the first
significant decline in this rate since the Census Bureau began
collecting the data in 1976. In that year, 31 percent of these
mothers were in the labor force.
Among mothers between 15 and 44 who do not have infants, 74
percent are in the labor force.
To help juggle motherhood and careers, many mothers turn to one
of the more than 67,000 day-care centers across the country.
Among more than 10 million preschoolers, about 2 million were
primarily cared for in such a facility during the bulk of the
mothers' working hours.
Single Moms
10 million
The number of single mothers living with children under 18, up
from 3 million in 1970.
Mother's Day Facts
#
Mother's Day in Britain or Mothering Sunday came to be
celebrated again after World War II, when American servicemen
brought the custom and commercial enterprises used it as an
occasion for sales, etc.
#
The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day not only in the United
States, but also in other countries including Denmark, Finland,
Italy, Turkey, Australia and Belgium. By the end of Anna Jarvis'
life, Mother's Day was celebrated in more than 40 countries.
#
In Spain, Mother's Day is December 8, on the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception, so that not only mothers in one's family
are honored, but also Mary, mother of Jesus.
#
In France, Mother's Day is on the last Sunday of May. A special
cake resembling a bouquet of flowers is presented to mothers at
a family dinner.
#
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the
Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, the League of Women
Voters and other organizations still organize protests on
Mother's Day: The Million Mom March, protests at nuclear weapons
sites, etc.
#
About 96% of American consumers take part in some way in
Mother's Day.
#
Mother's Day is widely reported as the peak day of the year for
long distance telephone calls and the busiest day of the year
for many restaurants.
#
The International Mother's Day Shrine: this church in Grafton,
West Virginia, was the site of the first unofficial Mother's Day
celebration as created by Anna Jarvis, May 10, 1907.
#
52 % of the words for mother in the material have ma/me/mo or na/ne/no
in the root syllable poems.
Mother's Day Trivia
* Some tribes of people, like the Assam in Africa, don't call
themselves families. They call themselves "maharis", or
"motherhoods".
* Rosa Parks was the mother of bus boycott in Montgomery,
Alabama that launched the Civil Rights Movement.
* Chinese family names are often formed (begin) with a sign that
means "mother". It's a nice way of honoring their moms long
past.
* The ancient Greeks celebrated Mother's Day in spring, like we
do. They used to honor Rhea, "mother of the gods" with
honey-cakes and fine drinks and flowers at dawn. Sounds like the
beginnings of the Mother's Day tradition of breakfast in bed!
* Mother Shipton was a Prophetess in Britain 500 years ago. She
could see the future, and predicted that another Queen Elizabeth
would sit on the throne of England. (QE II)
* Japan's Imperial family trace their descent from Omikami
Amaterasu, the Mother of the World.
* Julia Ward Howe wrote the Battle Hymm of the Republic and was
a staunch fighter for women's rights. She staged an unusual
protest for peace in Boston, by celebrating a special day for
mothers. Julia wanted to call attention to the need for peace by
pointing out mothers who were left alone in the world without
their sons and husbands after the bloody Franco-Prussian War.
* Hindu scripture credits the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the
invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs and
beautiful sacred images.
* George Washington once said, "My mother was the most beautiful
woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all
my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical
education I received from her".
* The Greek word "meter" and the Sanskrit word "mantra" mean
both mother and measurement.
* Mother Goose is one of the most popular of all children's
entertainers. Her books and stories have been loved for many
generations.
* Native American Indian women have long been honored with the
name, "Life of the Nation" for their gift of motherhood to the
tribes.
* Ancient Egyptians believed that "Bast" was the mother of all
cats on Earth, and that cats were sacred animals.
* Rose Kennedy once said, "I looked on child-rearing not only as
a work of love and duty, but as a profession that was fully as
interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the
world, and one that demanded the best that I could bring it".
* Buddha honored mothers when he said, "As a mother, even at the
risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man
cultivate love without measure toward the whole world".
* Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the
world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey,
Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations
to honor Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as
the United States.
* In the Bible, Eve is credited with being the "Mother of All
the Living."
* During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering
Sunday." Servants would go home to see their families, bringing
cakes and sweets to their moms. This custom was called "going
a-mothering". Each mother would recieve a simnel-cake (Latin for
"fine flour) and mother's would give a blessing to their
children.
* Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia began the campaign that brought
about the official observance of Mother's Day in the United
states. Her mother died, and Anna wanted all mothers to be
remembered. She asked that white carnations be the official
mother's day symbol. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed
the orders that made Mother's Day a national holiday.
* Just nine years later, Anna filed a lawsuit in an effort to
stop the over- commercialization of Mother's Day. She lost her
fight. Now, cards, letters, candy and dinners out mark Mother's
Day for most families. Anna had hoped for a day of reflection
and quiet prayer by families, thanking God for all that mothers
had done.
* Mother Earth is also known as "Terra Firma". That title is a
Latin translation of some lines from one of the Greek poet,
Homer's, greatest poems.
