INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Today is International Women's Day but in Italy it is called Festa delle Donne and mimosa or Silver Wattle, is the symbol of it. Vendors appear in the streets selling it, people scurry along carrying sprigs of it and even supermarkets give out tiny bits of it. There was a big sprig of it with my breakfast, heavily scented and wonderful. When I went out to photograph the tree I saw more bunches of it (bigger ones, I happened to notice) ready to go out to neighbour women.

It is not, however, only men giving mimosa to women. Women give it to other women as well. Another tradition is for women to get together and go out to dinner. An American woman who lived in Italy for some time said, "Yes, they go out to whoop it up but only after spending the afternoon slaving over a special dinner for their husbands so that he won't mind." It's true. Italy is a country awash in machismo.

Thousands of women demonstrated in the streets today, many wearing sprigs of mimosa. They carried signs which said, Se non ora, quando? If not now, when? Others said "Italy is not a brothel, women are not meat, down with the masher," etc. Some demanded equal pay but most were anti-Berlusconi.

Mimosa is a native of Australia and always reminds me of the Quiet Plodder who loved it but who has not posted since 21st September. The tree in the picture overhangs our parking area and is in its full glory today.

The first Women's Day was celebrated in Germany 100 years ago this year. It started as a Socialist political event. It took this form in many countries, mainly Eastern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet bloc. The mimosa is the symbolic flower in Russia, too. In many contries, Italy for one, it lost its political flavour quite soon. Elsewhere, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong in political and social awareness of the struggle of women throughout the world. There is a lot about it on the internet. I will try to do a link. Wiki.

Himself chose this picture. Typical of Italy! I preferred ones with less mimosa and more sky. The tree is magnificent but it is swaying and twirling in the wind like a mad thing and was very difficult to photograph. This one is in the best focus and, of course, shows the most mimosa. I did a macro of it on 1st March.

For the record: +7 Sunny, windy.