A few days ago, the entire world turned PINK for the International Women’s Day. All the world except Italy! Every time I think about the “Festa della Donna”, I imagine YELLOW fluffy Mimosa buds! This simple bush that blossoms before any other in Spring, is the symbol of the Women’s Day in Italy! Yep…! Today Italian flower shops are full of Mimosa's bouquets, and for fathers, brothers, boyfriends no excuses are allowed to buy Mimosas for their girls (like “They cost too much!”, “I came back from work too late”), because on 8th March you also find Bengali Mimosa sellers at any corner! Even my teacher of technical Education every year gifted me and all girls of the school with few wilted Mimosa sprigs! He was so generous! …Until I discovered he was picking them up from the school hedge!
I know what you are thinking… Why Mimosas? Isn’t it a small insignificant flower to represent women? Why not beautiful scented roses? Or elegant and sophisticated orchids? Why did Italy chose Mimosas? That’s what I thought, too! Not to mention that yellow is not really my favourite color! But after reading this story I changed my mind…
It was chosen by Italian suffragettes on 8th March 1946, at the end of the war, to symbolise the fight for women’s rights. They preferred Mimosa flowers instead of the most popular and expensive violet, because Mimosa trees were very common in Italian gardens and you can collect them in bunches for free! So during Fascism, in factories, women begun to treat each other with a sprig of Mimosa. A large branch was brought and each one took a piece of it as a gift of SISTERHOOD, together fighting for women rights. Together like a sprig of mimosa, made up of many small bugs. It is a collective flower, composed of many individualities, so many single pieces that together make up the flower.
Isn’t it a nice reason to give up this proud flower to celebrate all women? Today many women are ashamed to receive them, but they don’t really know what the strength of this gesture is.. It’s not romanticism, but the sharing of strong values between women themselves. That’s why Mimosas shouldn’t not be given away only by men, but also by mothers, sisters, friends and colleagues! Just like our mothers and grandmas did…
So why don’t we make again a Mimosa cake with our mother or sisters, or go out for a Mimosa drink with our girlfriends? …And don’t forget to bring a big Mimosa branch!
Sharing is good and strengthens relationships.
Has this story convinced you? I definitely agree, but… what about changing the color from yellow to pink?.. Maybe there’s a pink Mimosa in nature? ...Ok, just kidding! Or not?… :))
Happy Women’s day to you all dears!
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