Jer Blog

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first official Mother’s Day on May 9, 1914. This proclamation was a proclamation was particularly meaningful to Ana Jarvis, who several years prior had started a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day holiday to remember her own mother who had recently died. Jarvis wanted a day where all mother’s - past and present - could be honored.

Today Mother’s Day is a popular holiday, where gifts and cards are sent around the world.

The official flower for Mother’s Day is the carnation. Pink carnations are for living mothers, and white carnations are for those who have passed on.

Have you ever wondered where all the different symbols used on Valentine’s day came from? After some research, we have figured a few out.

The heart is one of the most popular symbols associated with the holiday. Although it is not exactly clear when it became the symbol, some scholars speculate that the heart, which today signifies romance or love, came from early attempts of people to draw an organ they have never seen.

Red roses, were said to be the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman Goddess of Love. Also, red is a color that signifies strong feelings.

Cupid, is also another Roman import, as he was the Roman God of Love. At one time Cupid was a muscled, full grown man,  sporting a bow and invisible arrows that he would shoot people with to make them fall in love. Over the years he devolved into a child-like symbol, to make him more ‘user friendly’ for men and woman alike.

Did you know that there is a very special ceremony for retiring a US flag, by burning it?

Your local Boy Scout group knows the proper ceremony and performs it on a regular basis.

If you have an old flag, do not throw it away! Give it to them and attend the ceremony if you have the chance. It is pretty cool.

A Little U.S. Flag History:

Betsy Ross was a seamstress who made clothes for George Washington. In June, 1776, Washington approached her to make our country’s first flag, and the rest is history…

Francis Scott Key inspired by the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, penned the lyrics to our national anthem as he witnessed the event as British cannonballs whizzed thru the air, as our flag flew in the breeze.

Flag Fact: A person who likes to study flags is called a Vexillologist.