It is a tradition in Italy to give gifts to women on March 08th, Women's Day – International Women's Day – with an arrangement, bouquet or bunch of yellow mimosas.
Many wonder where this custom comes from. As no culture remains without an origin that explains it, this tradition would be no different.
The mimosa – acacia, in Portuguese – is a tree that blooms between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, painting the landscapes green and yellow.
The tradition originated with a notable Genoese woman named Teresa Mattei which was a symbol of armed political resistance against the fascism in the country, responsible for contributing to the birth of Republic in Italy.
Teresa fought for the social cause and proposed that the mimosa become a symbol of International Women's Day in contrast to the habit of giving gifts of orchids and violets, which were more noble and less accessible plants at the time.
The suggestion had as an argument that the tradition should include a popular, accessible and easily found plant in the country.
The mimosa already belonged to a Chinese legend, in which it represented family warmth and feminine kindness, perfectly matching its purposes.
Teresa was born in 1921, in Genova, and passed away in 2013, in Toscana.
