In the United States we celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. That means it’s this coming Sunday, May 11. The official flower is the carnation. There are 84 million moms in the U.S.
August is the month when most babies are born, and four million women will become first-time moms this year. The average age of a first-time mother is 24.
There are more phone calls made on Mother’s Day than any other day of the year, and it is the third largest card selling day and the busiest day of the year for restaurants.
In Mexico, Mother’s Day is celebrated on a fixed date, May 10. According to tradition, children in Mexico make themselves present in the home the day before Mother’s Day, and they celebrate in church with special Masses.
The high point of the event is the orchestra playing “las mananitas” and the distribution of tamales and atole, the traditional early morning Mother’s Day meal.
In Spanish, mother is Madre, in Polish and Slovak it is Matka. It is Ahm in Arabic, in German and Yiddish its Muter, and Okassan in Japanese.
There is still time to stock up on the Forever stamp. It was introduced last year, and since then more than 6 billion have been sold. Postage will go up to 43 cents on May 12, but the Forever stamps purchased before that date will still cost 42 cents and remain valid.
Any Forever stamps purchased after May 12 will cost 43 cents. Other stamps will require additional postage. For the first time the Post Office has started selling the higher-priced stamps before the change takes effect. They have also printed an additional 1.5 billion 1 cent stamps in anticipation of the demand.
A new exhibit opened at the Field Museum called DNA Discovery. In the viewing area, you will be able to witness firsthand DNA research in action and speak directly to scientists about their work. Only a few museums in the world have DNA research facilities but the Field Museum’s lab is the only one where you can view it close up.
Belated congratulations to the Rev. Francis Kub on the 43rd anniversary of his ordination. Father Kub has been at St. Simon since 1988, the same year my daughter Amy started kindergarten there. He is the sixth and current pastor of St. Simon.
Fly your American flag and help celebrate Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 17. It was created in 1949 to consolidate the individual Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Day. It honors all Americans serving in military services. If you choose to fly the flag of another country, it should be smaller and flown under the American flag.
And remember: You only have that right because of the free country you are living in.
Congratulations to Vincent Samaska, a dedicated member of American Legion Post 600. He has been certified as a member in good standing for 60 years.
Street cleaning season has begun, so watch out for the no parking signs. As the weather improves, more kids will be outside playing with balls and riding bikes. Please slow down, get off the cell phones and pay attention to the road.