MIMOSA, SYMBOL OF THE WOMEN’S DAY IN ITALY
In the Bel Paese, one day a year, the towns and villages are filled with the scent and flowers of the mimosa, giving a touch of sun, energy and joy.
Everywhere you can see mimosas. The husbands give them to their wives, the fiancés to their beloved, brothers to their sisters, to their friends, to their colleagues.
Yellow bouquets fill vases and shop windows shine with the colors of this flower, king of spring.
It happens every year in Italy, on March 8th, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, which recalls the political, social and economic conquests of women as well as the violence suffered in history.
The origins of this celebration are more or less known to all: from female political movements to claim the rights of the early twentieth century to the establishment of the International Day.
The Women’s Day is an international event. Parties and celebrations are held all over the world. However, the mimosa flower is only a typically Italian custom and tells a piece of the history of Italian women.
To find out why, we have to go back almost 70 years, when Rita Montagnana and Teresa Mattei proposed to adopt this flower as a symbol of the celebration.
The decision was put to the vote and the women of the UDI (Unione Donne Italiane), both of whom were part, voted unanimously, preferring mimosa and granting only the second and third place to anemones and carnations.
The mimosa has won for its characteristics: it is the only flower that blooms in March, is easily available, it is apparently a fragile flower but manages to take root even on difficult terrains. Perfect to represent the figure of the woman and the female gender, capable of great determination.
The Women’s Day has its symbols and its traditions and the mimosa in Italy represents both: a symbol and a tradition, woven together in history.
Karen - 26. March 2020
I was told by an Italian woman from Italy that the mimosa was symbolic tradition to remember the women who perished in the shirtwaist factory in New York City. Is this not true?
lisa - 27. March 2020
Ciao Karen, some people think this is the reason behind this choice, because it is said that a mimosa tree grew near the burnt factory in New York.
But the truth is that in Italy this plant was chosen as a symbol to give to women, for the reasons we mentioned in the article.
Also true is that this flower is a symbol for commitment, struggle, solidarity and strength, so that such sad happenings won’t repeat.
Thanks for writing us.