Mother's Day · Worksheet 1
The Woman Who Made Mother's Day
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1On May 10, 1908, a small church in West Virginia got a big delivery. Inside were 500 white carnations. They came from a woman named Anna Jarvis. This was the first Mother's Day. But Anna herself was not there.
2Anna wanted to remember her own mother, Ann. Ann had eleven children, and Anna was the ninth. Ann worked hard to help families stay clean and healthy. During a war, she also helped hurt soldiers from both sides. When Ann died in 1905, Anna had an idea. Why not have a special day for all mothers?
3Her idea spread very fast. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to have a Mother's Day. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May a national day for mothers. Anna was very happy. But soon, flower shops and card companies saw a chance to make money.
4Anna became angry. She said a printed card was lazy, and a handwritten letter was much better. She did not want the day to be about shopping. She fought against the companies for the rest of her life. In 1925, the police even arrested her at a meeting. She never had children, and she died in 1948 with almost no money.
5Today, Mother's Day is on different dates around the world. In Britain, it comes in March, and in Thailand, people give jasmine flowers in August. In Mexico, it is always May 10. In Japan and the United States, it is still the second Sunday in May. So this year, try what Anna wanted. Write a short letter to your mother by hand.
- carnation カーネーション
- delivery 配達、届いた荷物
- remember 覚えている、しのぶ
- healthy 健康な
- soldier 兵士
- national 国の、全国の
- company 会社
- printed 印刷された
- handwritten 手書きの
- lazy なまけた、手抜きの
- arrest 逮捕する
- jasmine ジャスミン