Festa Della Donna

Yellow flowers mark International Women’s Day

The giving of mimosa flowers is the traditional Italian way to mark March 8, International Women’s Day. Any man worth his salt lavishes the special women in his life with a bouquet of the fragrant, yellow flowers that leave pollen stains on everything they touch.
All the better to remember the importance of this special day, known in Italy as the Festa della Donna. There are several stories regarding the origins of International Women’s Day. It may have been an initiative adopted at the 1910 Convention of Socialist Women in Copenhagen. Or it could have begun as a measure set forth at the Second Conference of Communist Women in Moscow in 1921. Another story harkens back to the early days of New York City, when the Triangle Shirt Factory caught on fire. Locked inside the factory were134 Italian women who were refusing to participate in a strike. They were tragically killed by the fire.
No matter which of these early 20th century origins mark the true beginnings of IWD, it is clear that the movement for the emancipation of women and defense of their rights is as strong as ever. And while much progress has been made over the past hundred years, there are always good reasons to set aside a day to honour women worldwide.
The custom of giving mimosa flowers on this day was established in Rome, 1946, when organizers were looking for an inexpensive flower to mark the occasion. The mimosa caught on, and has been traditional ever since.
In true Italian tradition, some notable women have been arguing recently for the abolition of the Festa della Donna, on the basis of Italy’s abysmal number of women in power. The country ranks the lowest in Europe for female managers (8 percent), parliament members (10 percent), and ambassadors (0 percent).
Notwithstanding these statistics, Italian women still find much to celebrate. Some take the Festa della Donna as an opportunity to revel in strength of the female spirit by spending a night out with friends. On March 8, it is not unusual for groups of women to enjoy themselves in restaurants, discos and nightspots. Here’s to all mimosa-bearing men and their special women. Happy International Women’s Day!

Publication Date: 2004-03-07
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3733