International Women’s day has come to be a day of celebrating the journey of Women’s Rights while also continuing the fight of achieving full equality for women Worldwide. As well as this, society has also come to see International Women’s Day as a time to give thanks for the women in their lives who they hold dear to them, to celebrate with them and show their love.
There are many great ways we can honour and commemorate the day, such as: donating to women’s refuge charities, spending time with the ladies in our lives or even joining in on political rallies. It is now, also, custom that women and men all over the world take part in the tradition of gifting flowers. It has become an accustomed tradition to many that on International Women’s Day – you ought to give flowers to the women of importance in your lives, as a token of your appreciation and love towards them.
How Did The Tradition Start?
There’s no exact determined way that this tradition began. Flower-giving has been a way of expressing love and affection for as long as we can remember, but some do believe that it stemmed from one day in particular – March 8th, 1946.
On this day, Italian feminists publicly chose the mimosa flower and declared it the symbol for women’s strength, sensibility and sensitivity. From then on, people often offered women this flower in particular on International Women’s Day. This day was assigned to celebrate women and their strength, empowerment and everything they do for their loved ones. Of course, then the tradition expanded and grew and today the giving of any sort of flower arrangement is considered a customary gesture on International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day Now
Gifting flowers is a massive aspect of IWD’s today, especially in the likes of Russia and Ukraine. These and many other Eastern European countries celebrate the day heavily and where it’s, in fact, a national holiday. According to The New York Times, flower shops in Russia sell upwards of 150,000 roses on March 8th, which to them is equivalent to a standard whole month’s worth of sales.
This year, it’s been announced that the official theme for International Women’s Day 2020 is #EachForEqual, which is a proclamation for the hope of full equality for women worldwide. Women’s rights have come very far, and in developed countries like Ireland, the UK, and the US, most women live good lives and are not subjected to major inequality. However, gender divides remain, with pay gaps and palpable bias towards women in the work place. Gender discrimination is still very prominent in many industries. Other less developed countries still have a much longer way to go.
To quote the official IWD website, this year’s official slogan is: “An equal World is an enabled world. How will you help forge a gender-equal world? Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.”
This International Women’s Day, celebrate with each other however you see fit. But why not gift some flowers to bring a little extra light to the lives of the women in your life that you’re grateful for. Mad Flowers are offering an international women’s day special offer, our Petite bouquet is on sale and comes with a free vase. Order online for home delivery and have a stunning bouquet arrive at a loved one’s doorstep.
