Stars and Stripes
The United States did not have a standardized flag until 1912.Called the “Stars and Stripes”or “Old Glory，”the flag is one of the most complicated in the world.No other flag needs 64pieces of fabric to make.The current flag has 13red and white alternating stripes representing the original 13states and 50stars each star represents one of the states of the Union on a blue background.
The American flag has also changed designs more than any other flag in the world.The first flag called the “Grand Union”was first flown at the headquarters of the Continent Army on January 1，1776.Betsy Ross a seamstress is said to have contributed to this design.She had an upholstery business which made flags for navy ships in Pennsylvania.A legend still persists that she showed George Washington how to make a fivepointed star and suggested thirteen stars in a circle for the first flag.Actually she and George Washington never met.George Washington did design the Grand Union.
On June 14，1777the Continental Congress proposed that the United States have a new national flag instead of the old one.The 13stars of the flag represented the 13new states.There were few public ceremonies honoring the Stars and Stripes until 1877when on June 14it was flown from every government building in honor of the centennial of the adoption of a national flag.In 1890North Dakota and New Jersey made a law that required their schools to fly the flag daily.The first official Flag Day was observed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1893.New York also proclaimed June 14as Flag Day 1897.Other states were slow to follow.Some people thought that the day was too close to Memorial Day and Independence Day.
In August 1949President Harry S.Truman proclaimed June 14as Flag Day.Since then the President proclaims the commemoration yearly and encourages all Americans in the country to display the Stars and Stripes outside their homes and businesses.Individual states determine how they will observe the day.In Pennsylvania and American Samoa it is a public holiday.Usually the flag is flown from all public buildings speeches are made in public places and ceremonies take place in towns or cities.
美国国旗纪念日
美国的国旗直到1912年才被标准化并确定下来。它被称作“星条旗”或“古老的荣誉”，是世界上设计最为复杂的国旗之一，需用64块布制成——这在其他国家的国旗里是绝无仅有的。目前美国的国旗上有13条红白相间的横条，代表美国成立之初时的13个州；一块蓝色的底色上有着50颗星，每一颗星代表联盟的一个州。
美国国旗在图案设计上也改变过多次，比世界上其他任何一个国家都多。第一面国旗被称作“伟大联盟”，1776年1月1日首次飘扬在美国陆军司令部的大楼上。一名叫Betsy Ross的女裁缝据说是这面国旗的设计者。她有一个室内装潢公司，专门为宾夕法尼亚州海军的军舰制作旗帜。还有传说说，在制作第一面国旗时，她曾专门为乔治·华盛顿总统展示怎样制作五角星，还建议四面环绕13颗星。而实际上，乔治·华盛顿总统根本就没接见过她！“伟大联盟”的设计者实际上是华盛顿总统。
1777年6月14日，国民代表大会提议美国应该有一面新的国旗，以取代旧的。旗帜上的13颗星代表美国的13个州。但1877年以前，为纪念新国旗而举行的纪念活动还很少，直到1877年6月14日，为纪念新国旗采用100年，星条旗才开始飘扬在美国每一座政府大楼上。1890年，北达科他州和新泽西州还特别制定了法律，要求本州内学校每天都要悬挂国旗。1893年，宾夕法尼亚州的费城第一个把国旗日制定为官方节日。纽约也在1897年宣布6月14日为国旗日。但其他州迟迟未见动静，很多人觉得这一天与美国阵亡战士纪念日和独立日挨得太近。
1949年8月，哈利·S.杜鲁门总统宣布把6月14日作为国旗制定纪念日，此后每年杜鲁门总统都会在这一天举行纪念活动，并鼓励所有美国人在家或单位门口悬挂国旗。美国各个州的庆祝活动有所不同。在宾夕法尼亚州和萨摩亚群岛，这一天是个公众性的节日，国旗高高飘扬在公共场所的建筑物上，有人在公共场所发表演讲，乡村和城镇也会举行各种集会纪念活动。
The History of Mother’s Day
The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations are traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea，the Mother of the Gods.
During the 1600’s，England celebrated a day called “Mothering Sunday，”celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent.“Mothering Sunday”honored the mothers of England.During this time many of the England’s poor worked as servants for the wealthy.As most jobs were located far from their homes，the servants would live at the houses of their employers.On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers.A special cake，called the mothering cake，was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the “Mother Church”—the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm.Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
In the United States Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace.
In 1907Ana Jarvis，from Philadelphia，began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day.Ms.Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton，West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second anniversary of her mother’s death，the 2nd Sunday of May.By the next year Mother’s Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
Ms.Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers，businessmen，and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother’s Day.It was successful，by 1911Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state.President Woodrow Wilson，in 1914，made the official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother’s Day at different times throughout the year，there are some countries such as Denmark，Finland，Italy，Turkey，Australia，and Belgium which also celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May.
母亲节的来历
最早的母亲节要追溯到古希腊为纪念众神之母瑞亚而举行的春季庆典。
在17世纪，英国庆祝一个叫“省亲日”的节日，庆典在四旬斋的第四个星期日举行。“省亲日”是英国人为表示对母亲的尊敬而设立的。当时，许多英国穷人都给富人当奴仆。由于多数工作地都离家很远，所以仆人们总是住在他们的雇主家里。在省亲日这天，仆人们常放假一天，可以回家和母亲团聚。为增加节日的气氛，他们常捎带一种特制的蛋糕，叫省亲蛋糕。
当基督教传遍欧洲的时候，庆祝活动演变成了颂扬“母教”——给予他们生命和保护他们免遭伤害的精神力量。渐渐地，宗教节日和省亲日的庆祝活动相互交融，人们开始既敬重母亲，又颂扬教会。
在美国，母亲节是1872年朱莉亚·沃德·豪作为和平日首次提出的。
1907年，来自费城的阿纳·贾维斯为确立一个全国性的母亲节开始了一项运动。贾维斯女士说服西弗吉尼亚州格拉夫顿她母亲的教会在她母亲逝世两周年纪念日——5月的第二个星期日，庆祝母亲节。到第二年，费城也开始庆祝母亲节。
贾维斯女士和她的支持者开始给牧师、商人、政治家写信，力求确立一个全国性的母亲节。这件事成功了。到1911年，几乎所有州都庆祝母亲节。1914年，伍德罗·威尔逊总统发表官方通告，宣布母亲节为一个全国性的节日，在每年5月的第二个星期日庆祝。
虽然世界上很多国家一年中在不同时间庆祝他们自己的母亲节，但诸如丹麦、芬兰、意大利、土耳其、澳大利亚和比利时等国家也是在5月的第二个星期日庆祝母亲节。
Father’s Day
Father’s Day，contrary to popular misconception，was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards.In fact when a “father’s day”was first proposed there were no Father’s Day cards！
