 Do you know on which day of the year telephone lines in the United States record the highest traffic? You guessed it! On Mother's Day.
Sons and daughters who live far away from home use this day to pick up the phone and express their appreciation to the women who raised them. Those who live with or near their mothers also show their gratitude, perhaps by preparing breakfast in bed for their mothers or by taking them out for an expensive meal. Flowers, especially carnations, and cards are often presented as well. The earliest observance of“Mother's Day” can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, who honored Rhea, the mother goddess of all deities, during the springtime. Starting in the 1600s in Europe, mothers were honored each year on the fourth Sunday in Lent, known as “Mothering Sunday.” 你知道美國每年哪天的電話通訊量會創下年度紀錄嗎？你猜對了！就是母親節。 離家遙遠的兒女在這天中會拿起電話，向養育他們的母親表達感激之意。而與母親同住或離家較近的兒女，則可能藉由準備讓母親可在床上享用的早餐，或帶母親出去吃頓大餐，致上感謝之意。兒女們也會給母親鮮花，特別是康乃馨，還有母親節卡片。 最早的母親節可追溯至古希臘人，他們在春日時分會祭拜「眾神之母」瑞亞。除此之外，歐洲從17 世紀時在大齋期的第四個週日表揚母親，稱之為母親節（Mothering Sunday）。 | 
