On the second Sunday in May, American children of all ages treat1 their mothers to something special. It is one day out of the year when children, young and old, try to show how much they really appreciate2 their mothers.
England was one of the first countries to set aside3 a day to recognize mothers. In the eighteenth century when many people worked as household4 servants for the rich, “Mothering5 Sunday” was a day for them to return home to be with their mothers. Though this custom6 stopped when the Industrial Revolution changed the working and living patterns of the people, one Sunday for Mothers was set as a holiday in the twentieth century.
In the United States, Mother's Day did not become an official holiday until 1914. This was due largely to7 the perseverance8 and love of one daughter, Anna Jarvis. Anna's father served as a minister in West Virginia and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her mother had provided strength and support as the family made their home there. As a girl, Anna had helped her mother take care of the carnations9—her mother's favorite flower. When Mrs. Jarvis died on May 5, 1905, Anna made up her mind to honor her mother. She asked the minister at her church in West Virginia to give a sermon10 in her mother's memory. On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, their minister honored Mrs. Jarvis and all mothers with a special Mother's Day service. Anna Jarvis began writing to congressmen11, asking them to set aside a day to honor mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia announced the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day; and a year later, every state celebrated it.
On Mother's Day morning, some American children follow the tradition of serving their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers gifts which they have made themselves, or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations, the official Mother's Day flower. If their mothers are not living, they may bring white carnations to their grave sites12. This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On her special day, family members do not want Mom to cook dinner!
五月的第二个星期天，做子女的美国人，不论年龄大小，都要送给母亲一点特别的礼物。一年中的这一天，老老少少的孩子们都向各自的母亲表达他们真挚的感激之情。
英国是最早设立一天来感谢母亲的国家之一。18世纪的时候，许多人在富人家当仆人，星期天就是他们回家看母亲的“母亲日”。后来工业革命改变了人们的工作和生活模式，这一习俗也就终止了，不过20世纪仍然有一个星期天被定为母亲们的节日。
在美国，母亲节直到1914年才成为正式的节日，这主要得归功于一个做女儿的人的不懈努力和（对母亲的）爱。她叫安娜·贾维丝，那时她父亲在西弗吉尼亚州和宾州的费城做牧师，他们在那里创建了自己的家园，这离不开母亲的激励和支持。还是小女孩的安娜常常帮母亲给康乃馨浇水施肥，那是母亲最喜欢的花。1905年5月5日，贾维丝夫人去世，安娜决心要表示对母亲的敬意。她要求西弗吉尼亚她所在教区的牧师布道以纪念她的母亲。在费城的同一个星期天，牧师举行了一次特别的仪式以表示对贾维丝夫人及所有母亲的敬意。之后安娜给国会议员写信，希望他们选定一天纪念所有的母亲。1910年，西弗吉尼亚州州长宣布五月的第二个星期天为母亲节；一年以后，各州都开始庆祝这一节日了。
母亲节的早上，有的美国孩子按传统将早餐送到妈妈的床头，还有的孩子给妈妈送礼物，这些礼物或是出自自己的双手，或者在商店买得。成年人给母亲送红色康乃馨，这是法定的母亲节花卉。如果他们的母亲已不在世，他们就在母亲的墓前放一束白色康乃馨。母亲节是美国大小餐厅一年中最忙的一天，因为没有人愿意母亲在这个特别属于她的节日里下厨做饭！
1． treat v． 款待
2． appreciate v． 感谢，感激
3． set aside 留出
4． household adj． 家庭的
5． mother v． 如慈母般关爱
6． custom n． 风俗
7． be due to 由于
8． perseverance n． 坚持不懈
9． carnation n． 康乃馨
10．sermon n． 布道
11．congressmen n． 国会议员
12．grave site 墓地