March 8, 2006 Festa Della Donna

Festa Delle Donna has come and gone on March 8th
Funny, it is, I believe, International Women's Day.
It was on this day, March 8th, in 1884 that Susan B. Anthony addressed the United States Congress, arguing for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote. She said, "We appear before you this morning ... to ask that you will, at your earliest convenience, report to the House in favor of the submission of a Sixteenth Amendment to the Legislatures of the several states, that shall prohibit the disfranchisement of citizens of the United States on account of sex."
Excerpted from the Writer's Almanac.

Yet, this isn't a day that is celebrated in the US. Apparently, it is recognised by the UN and we know how mercurical our country can sometimes be with it's realtionship to the UN.
Here in Italy, it's a golden opportunity to wine and dine all your favorite women whether they're colleagues or family members. The tradition includes a gift of yellow mimosa, which again I've never seen the states, but is a lovel fragrant flower. Actually it's the flowering end of the mimosa tree. After your favorite ladies have been given mimosa or lovely yellow flowers, (I received a yellow begonia plant as well) then meals out or other treats are widely popular and not unlike Valentines or secretary's day. I enjoyed the celebration, but was as surprised as everyone else here, that it isn't even acknowledged in the good ole USA.
We must have enough floral and dinner holidays already penciled in!