This Sunday is Mother’s Day of 2021. But do you know the full version of the definition of this festival? In Wikipedia, this one goes: Mother’s Day is a celebration honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. As you see, this festival not just simply about encouraging people to express their gratitude to their mother on this day, it actually reminds us the significant role that mother plays not only in the family but also in the whole society. This is the social importance it holds as an international festival? But what does it mean to us?
“Every time a baby is born, so is a mother.”I used to wonder what do all these festivals mean to us, but the moment I saw this sentence, the true significance of the Mother’s Day begins to unfold in front of me. Taking up the responsibility of a mother needs courage. Learning to be a mother takes a great deal of time and efforts. We need this festival to honour all the contribution that mother makes for us. But on some extent, we do not need this, because each simple day we spent together, every happy moment we share together would be the best gift for our mother.
Related material from the websiteWhy Do We Set Aside a Date To Celebrate The Mothers?
Around the world today, the Mother’s Day celebration is held as a mark of respect and honour to the woman. It is also a show of love and respect to our mothers for their contribution to building a better home. While many countries may have different dates for the celebration, the common date is in May. Mother’s day, like other celebrations, is an effort like Father’s Day to appreciate the contributions of the family towards a better society. Mother’s day aims to applaud all the women in the world working hard to improve their families. Contributing to family helps to model a better society.本次 English Corner 会有一点小特别，到现场你将能感受到，公益也走心。
Reading
资料：Harry 编辑：Harry
R 1
Mother’s Day is a day for many people to show their appreciation towards mothers and mother figures worldwide. It is an annual event but is held at different dates in the calendar, depending on the country.
母亲节是许多人向全世界的母亲和母亲表示感谢的一天。这是一年一度的活动，但根据国家/地区在日历的不同日期举行。
Lots of us have less-than-perfect relationships, either with our own moms or with other moms we want to recognize with a Mother’s Day card. In those cases, a card with a short, straightforward sentiment is often the best option. You can use your handwritten message to add a little warmth without going over the top or overstating how you feel.
我们中的许多人与我们自己的妈妈或我们想通过母亲节贺卡认识的其他妈妈的关系都不尽人意。在这种情况下，情绪短促，直截了当的卡片通常是最好的选择。您可以使用手写的消息来增加一点温暖，而不必高估或夸大您的感受。
R 2
There are various ways to show an appreciation for mothers and mother figures on Mother’s Day. They include white carnations, which Anna Jarvis asked to be the official symbol for the day, as well as the International Mother’s Day Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the preservation of motherhood. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. It is located together with a museum at Grafton, West Virginia, and aims to preserve, promote and develop the spirit of motherhood.
在母亲节，有多种方法可以表达对母亲和母亲形象的赞赏。其中包括白色康乃馨（安娜·贾维斯（Anna Jarvis）要求将其作为当天的正式象征），以及国际母亲节神社。该神社致力于维护母性。该结构在美国国家历史名胜名录中列出。它与西弗吉尼亚州格拉夫顿的博物馆一起坐落，旨在维护，促进和发展母性精神。
R 3
Mother’s Day in China falls on the second day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar every year, but it is generally celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It is a holiday that was first celebrated regionally in Hong Kong and Macau. After the Chinese economic reform in 1979, the Chinese mainland began to embrace this holiday.
中国的母亲节是每年农历正月初四的第二天，但通常在五月的第二个星期日庆祝。这是香港和澳门地区首次庆祝的假期。1979年中国经济改革后，中国大陆开始接受这个假期。
R 4
Mencius’s mother is a female figure in the Chinese culture. The story of Mencius’ mother (孟母三遷 mèngmǔ-sānqiān”) says that this mother moved houses three times to find the perfect location to raise her child. The title of the story 孟母三遷 (lit. Mencius Mother Three Move) became one of the most famous traditional chengyu and refers to the importance of finding the proper environment for raising children.
孟子的母亲是中国文化中的女性。孟子母亲“孟母三迁mèngmǔ-sānqiān”的故事说，这位母亲搬了三遍房子，找到了抚养孩子的理想地点。孟母三迁（孟子母亲三步走）这个故事的标题成为最著名的传统成语之一，它指出了寻找合适的环境养育孩子的重要性。
R 5
Mencius’s father died when Mencius was very young. His mother Zhǎng (仉) raised her son alone. They were very poor. At first they lived by a cemetery, where the mother found her son imitating the paid mourners in funeral processions. Therefore, the mother decided to move. The next house was near a market in the town. There the boy began to imitate the cries of merchants (merchants were despised in early China). So the mother moved to a house next to a school. Inspired by the scholars and students, Mencius began to study. His mother decided to remain, and Mencius became a scholar.
孟子的父亲在孟子很小的时候就去世了。他的母亲Zhǎng（仉）独自抚养儿子。他们很穷。最初，他们住在墓地，母亲在葬礼游行中发现儿子模仿有偿送葬者。因此，母亲决定搬家。隔壁的房子在镇上的一个市场附近。那个男孩开始模仿商人的哭声（商人在中国早期被鄙视）。于是母亲搬到了学校旁边的房子里。在学者和学生的启发下，孟子开始学习。他的母亲决定留下来，孟子成为一名学者。
问题来了
作者：Harry 审稿：Emily
Have you given your mother anything for Mother’s Day? Y
你有没有送给你的妈妈什么东西在母亲节这天？Y
What does your mother want you to do most this year? How did you respond?
你有夸过你的妈妈吗？都夸她哪些事情呢？
Have you ever complimented your mother? What are you saying about her?
你的妈妈最想要你做什么今年？你是如何反馈的？
Talk about your views about your children’s relationship with their mothers
谈论一下关于你对现在子女与母亲的关系的看法
If you were to call your mother today, what would you want to say?
如果你今天给自己的妈妈打个电话你最想说些什么？
