Celebrate Earth Hour today by voluntarily unplugging all electricity in your home or office for one hour at 8:30pm (local time).

Mother’s Day is approaching, and though the special woman in your life might proclaim that you don’t have to get her anything, don’t fall for that this year! Whether it be your mom, your sister, grandmother, aunt or family friend that has been like a mother to you, take the time to convey their lasting importance and significance in your life.

Some ideas include planning an outing, dining at her favorite locale, showing off your creative and crafty side with something handmade or just presenting flowers, a card and a gift. Whatever way it’s done, all humans can relate to the joy that comes with being honored and given a little VIP treatment now and again.

As one might expect, Mother’s Day began in the United States. The version we celebrate has spread to other countries around the world; but what you might not know is that the pure celebration of the “mother” has pre-dated the US commercial holiday in some countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, carrying a either religious or spiritual significance.

Below are some blurbs from Wikipedia explaining the historical origins of “Mother’s Day” around the world:

Select African Countries
Many adopted the idea of one Mother’s Day from the British tradition, although there are many festivals and events celebrating mothers within the many diverse cultures on the African continent that long pre-date colonization. In Nepal and other hindu tradition, its called “Mata Tirtha Aunshi” or “Mother Pilgrimage fortnight”.

Nepal
Mata Tirtha Aunshi falls in the month of Baishak dark fortnight (April). This festival falls in the time of dark moon’s time which is why this called “Mata Tirtha Aunshi” derived from words: “Mata” meaning mother; “Tirtha” meaning pilgrimage. This festival is observed in the commemoration and respect of the mother which is celebrated by worshipping and gifting living mother or remembering mothers who have become immortal and are resting in peace […]

Japan
Mother’s Day in Japan was initially commemorated during the Shōwa period as the birthday of Empress Kōjun (mother of Emperor Akihito). Nowadays it is a marketed holiday, and people typically give flowers such as carnations and roses as gifts.

China
In China, Mother’s Day is becoming more popular, and carnations are a very popular gift and the most sold type of flower. In 1997 it was set as the day to help poor mothers, specially to remind people of the poor mothers on rural areas such as China’s west […] In recent years Communist Party of China’s member Li Hanqiu began to advocate for the official adoption of Mother’s Day in memory of Meng Mu, the mother of Mèng Zǐ, and formed a Non-governmental organization called Chinese Mothers’ Festival Promotion Society, with the support of 100 Confucian scholars and lecturers of ethics. They also ask to replace the Western gift of carnations with lilies, which, on ancient times, were planted by Chinese mothers when children left home. It remains an unofficial festival, except in a small number of cities.

Greece
Mother’s Day in Greece corresponds to the Eastern Orthodox feast day of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Since the Theotokos (The Mother of God) appears prominently in this feast as the one who brought Christ to the Temple at Jerusalem, this feast is associated with mothers.

Iran
Celebrated on 20 Jumada al-thani, the birthday anniversary of Fatima, Muhammad’s daughter. It was changed after the Iranian revolution, the reason having been theorized as trying to undercut feminist movements and promoting role models for the traditional model of family. It was previously 25 Azar on Iranian calendar during the Shah era.

United Kingdom and Ireland
Main article: Mothering Sunday
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday (March 22 in 2009). It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one’s mother’s church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day. Most historians believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their families. As a result of secularization, it is now principally used to show appreciation to one’s mother, although it is still recognized in the historical sense by some churches, with attention paid to Mary the mother of Jesus Christ as well as the traditional concept ‘Mother Church’. Mothering Sunday can fall at the earliest on 1 March (in years when Easter Day falls on 22 March) and at the latest on 4 April (when Easter Day falls on 25 April).

Vietnam
Mother’s Day in Vietnam is called Lễ Vu-lan and celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. People with living mothers would be thankful, while people with dead mothers would pray for their souls.

As these various traditions show us, paying homage to the mother can extend beyond one’s own maternal connection. Let’s also give thanks to mother earth and remember her this Sunday. The Casa di Culture teams strives to recognize and celebrate the earth everyday by working with recycled, organic and non-toxic materials. We mirror the earth and understand the added value and intrinsic energy that comes from handmade products because not only are they prepared with the passion of the artisan, they are also individually sculpted and packaged.

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 officially marks Earth Day, it’s been estimated that more than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, which makes it the largest secular civic event in the world! The festivities already began on April 19th in places like Washington, DC where 100,000 people attended Earth Day on the National Mall; it included attendance from countries such as Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Beijing, and Manila, among others.

The premise of Earth Day is to raise everyone’s awareness regarding their inalienable duty to preserve and uphold a sustainable environment, not only for themselves, but for future generations. With much talk about sustainability, it might just become a term that has lost its meaning, but it basically implies that we need to be more mindful about the resources we expend, the waste we produce and the wear and tear we contribute to the land. All of us contribute - either positively or negatively, from the type of clothes we wear to the type of car we drive (or don’t drive). The chemicals, the emissions and fumes, certain pesticides used to grow the cotton for your clothes and food harvesting and preparation are all indirect contributions.

The manufacturers we decide to patronize make a great deal of significance in terms of whether we are consciously contributing to the problem or solution. I became more knowledgeable about ten years ago as to where and how my shoes and clothing were being produced. It mattered to me if they were made in a sweat shop where the people making them most likely earned much less than I was paying for the item, or whether the company took a vigilant stance to manufacture their items in fair working conditions.

The reason Casa di Culture makes such a fuss is because all of this matters. We consciously choose to work with companies that employ indigenous labour, provide fair, livable wages, clean working conditions, organic fabrics and non-toxic dyes and inks. We have spent much time researching the ethos of each company, understanding their respective missions and only working with those that use organic materials and ingredients. Whether they are large manufacturers or small businesses run by a husband and wife team, it is important for Casa di Culture to uphold a certain standard of social and environmental accountability.

For that reason we offer handmade natural soaps and deodorants, bamboo tea – an awesome drink to increase blood circulation, hand-casted jewelry, and eco-friendly t-shirts that we design in house. We urge everyone to support similar companies that have a “hands on” and thought driven approach to the products they pass on to the consumer because nothing is more earth friendly than educated consumerism.

Some useful links to read more about Earth Day:

• http://www.earthday.net/node/77

• http://www.google.com/gadgets/directory?synd=earth&cat=featured&preview=on

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day

Happy Songkran Thailand! Songkran literally means ‘a move or change’ in Sanskrit, and this festival marks the traditional Thai New Year. Many foreigners associate this holiday with water fights, but Songkran represents much more than this.

photo credit: www.destinationthailand.org

The use of water is both symbolic and practical, it is used to cleanse the spirit, pay respect to relatives and elders and cool down the body during the hottest month of the year (April). Cleansing the image of Buddha is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.

Traditionally, people would collect the water that was poured over Buddhas and pour it on the shoulders of elders in order to bless them. Now many Thai’s celebrate this holiday by cleaning their homes on the first day, preparing meals on the second day and attending religious ceremonies on the third and final day.

Enjoy your Songkran!

Today, February 21, is International Mother Language Day, a holiday created by UNESCO in 1999 to celebrate languages and draw attention to the disappearance of many languages.

According to a study carried out by UNESCO, there are 2,500 languages in danger of extinction. As we all know, language is much more than words, grammar and punctuation. Its also intonation, self expression and history. You can learn more about a person’s true character when you speak with them in their mother tongue. All of these various languages that help make each society unique in its own way should not be lost.

So in a (small) effort to honor all the languages of world on International Mother Language Day, CDC invites everyone to speak, write, or blog in their mother tongue today.

For more information on International Mother Language Day, visit UNESCO’s site.