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Chapter 30 History History Humanities (7)
vt. boast, brandish;
vi. to prosper, prosper

sacrificed ["s? krifais] n. Sacrifice, sacrifice;
vt. Sacrifice; sell at a loss;
vi. to sacrifice, to sacrifice

Practice
Write yes if the sentence is true. Write no if the sentence is not true.
1. The early Christians celebrated the Mother's festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

2. 1872 is a landmark in the history of Mother's Day.

3. The white incarnations represent sweetness, purity, and patience.

4. In the year 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

5. Turkey celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

Translation
The history of Mother's Day can be traced back to ancient Greece hundreds of years ago.At that time, people will hold celebrations to commemorate Rhea (Rhea) (the mother of the gods in ancient Greece, she is the mother of the main god Zeus and the queen Hera).Early Christians celebrated Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of St. Mary (Mother of Christ).Interestingly, the reformation of the religious order made this festival include all mothers and named this day "Mother's Day".Later, the British colonists who settled in America stopped this tradition due to lack of time. In 1872, Julia Woodhoff instituted a holiday for mothers as a devotion to peace.This is a milestone in the history of Mother's Day.

In 1907, a Philadelphia teacher, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), started a national holiday in honor of mothers—Anna M. Jarvis Honor Day.She enlisted hundreds of lawmakers and business leaders to create a special day in honor of her mother.The first Mother's Day celebration was held in a church for Anna's mother.During the ceremony, Anna distributed her mother's favorite white flowers, the embodiment of sweetness, purity and patience.Anna's efforts finally paid off in 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Gradually, Mother's Day became very popular, and gift-giving activities increased day by day.All this commercial activity infuriated Ana, who felt that the mood of the day was tainted by greed and profit.

Despite Jarvis' concerns, Mother's Day has taken hold in the United States.In fact, this day has become the most popular day of the year.Although Anna is no longer with us now, Mother's Day was established and has spread to countries around the world.Many countries in the world celebrate Mother's Day at different times of the year, such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia and Belgium, etc., still celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.

Exercise
True or false:

1.Early Christians celebrated Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

2 is a milestone in the history of Mother's Day.

3.White flowers are the embodiment of sweetness, purity and patience.

4. In 1907, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

5.Turkey celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May.

1．yes　2．yes　3．yes　4．no　5．yes
10 Story of Christmas Stockings Why Christmas Gifts Are Put in Stockings
Long long ago, there was a kindly nobleman whose wife had died of an illness leaving the nobleman and his three daughters in despair. After losing all his money in useless and bad inventions the family had to move into a peasant's cottage, where the daughters did their own cooking, sewing and cleaning.
When it came time for the daughters to marry, the father became even more depressed as his daughters could not marry without dowries, money and property given to the new husband's family.
One night after the daughters had washed out their clothing they hung their stockings over the fireplace to dry. That night Saint Nicholas, knowing the despair of the father, stopped by the nobleman's house. Looking in the window Saint Nicholas saw that the family had gone to bed. He also noticed the daughters' stockings. Inspiration struck Saint Nicholas and he took three small bags of gold from his pouch and threw them one by one down the chimney and they landed in the stockings.
The next morning when the daughters awoke they found their stockings contained enough gold for them to get married. The nobleman was able to see his three daughters married and he lived a long and happy life.
Children all over the world continue the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings. In some countries children have similar customs, in France the children place their shoes by the fireplace, a tradition dating back to when children wore wooden peasant shoes.
Vocabulary
nobleman ["n? ublm? n] n. Nobility
Dowry ["dau? ri] n. Dowry, talent

inspiration ["insp?"rei? ? n] n.

pouch [paut? ] n. Pouch, pouch, tobacco pouch;

vi. into a bag;
vt. put... into the bag

Peasant ["pez?nt] n. Farmer, countryman
Practice
Where are your Christmas stockings? Talk about your Christmas Eve with classmates.
Translation
Long, long ago, there was a kind-hearted nobleman whose wife died of illness, leaving him and his three daughters behind.The nobleman tried a number of inventions, failed, and ran out of money, so they had to move to a farmhouse where his daughters cooked, sewed, and cleaned themselves.

A few years passed, and the daughters reached the age of marriage one after another, but the father became even more depressed because he had no money to buy the dowry for the daughters.

One evening, after the girls had done their laundry, they hung their stockings to dry in front of the fireplace.Saint Nicholas came to their house that night when he knew about their father's situation.From the window he saw the whole family asleep and noticed the girls' stockings.Immediately, he took out three small packets of gold from his pocket and threw them one by one from the chimney, just falling into the girls' stockings.

The next morning, the daughters awoke to find their stockings filled with gold, enough for them to buy their dowry.The nobleman was able to see his daughters get married and lived happily ever after.

Later, children all over the world inherited the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings.Children in some countries have other similar customs, such as in France, children put their shoes by the fireplace, a tradition that dates back to the era of wearing wooden peasant shoes.

Exercise
Where are your Christmas stockings?Talk about your Christmas Eve.

(End of this chapter)