by Svetlana Konnikova

                          Did you buy fresh flowers or small gifts for all women in your family today? Probably, not. All women here, in the U.S. have to wait till Mother’s Day in May to get beautiful flowers and be honored for their achievements.  In other parts of the world men celebrate their mothers, wives, daughters, girlfriends and collegues this Sunday, March 8th. 

Today men in Russia, China, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam woke up early and rushed to the farmer’s markets to buy fresh roses, carnations, snowdrops or tulips. 

       While their beloved women still enjoyed sound sleep and sweet dreams, they quietly came back home, did other errands and prepared a delicious hot breakfast for their “sleeping beauties.” And voila!  Everything is done while you were still resting in your bed.

Is it a dream?  Not at all. It’s a long ago established fine tradition to celebrate International Women’s Day. In 1975 the United Nations designated March 8 in many countries to celebrate women’s achievement and equality gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

In many countries International Women’s Day is equal to the Mother’s day. There even children traditionally give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers. These remarkable women well deserve to get a generous attention from their husbands,children and grandchildren, at least one time in a year. Aren’t they the most valuable people in our lives? I cannot imagine my life without them. What about you?

Here is just a reminder. Click on the link below to watch and listen this Mom’s song. It will make you smile and appreciate our Moms, no matter what.

                                                                themomsong11

So, today is men’s turn. For example in Russia, they already gave their women flowers ( Russia is 8 hours ahead in time from the U.S.) and made famous Russian blini  (pancakes) with black or red caviar. 

Recipe for Russian blini (pancakes):

2 cups organic wheat flour, 1 quart organic milk, two organic eggs, a pinch of organic turbonado cane sugar and a pinch of iodized sea salt. Serves 4 people.

Place flour, well  beaten eggs with a whisk, warm milk, sugar and salt in a glass bowl. Mix all ingredients well. The mixture come in  a consistency of sour cream. Heat a frying pan (with a flat bottom). When a pan is hot enough, pour on the bottom very little olive oil.. Pour a tablespoon of the dough in the pan and spread it. Fry blin (the pancake) till the dough will bubble. Then flip it over and fry on the other side.

Put the pancake one after another on a big, flat plate. Add a tiny piece of butter (don’t use margerine!) on every hot pancake. In 15 minutes you have a pile of hot, tasteful blini (pancakes) that can be eaten with black or red caviar, ground meat, fish stuffing, honey, berry preserves, organic sour cream or organic kefir or plain organic yogurt. If you eat blini with red caviar, roll them like you see on the picture, spread around fresh parsley and add a piece of lemon or pineapple. It tastes delicious with a glass of Chardonnay, a shot of vodka or with hot black tea with lemon. Experiment, enjoy and celebrate!

“Women are always beautiful!”–Ville Valo, a Finnish singer and songwriter

“Women speak two languages–one of which is verbal.”–William Shakespeare

“A man chases a woman until she catches him.” — American Proverb

“Every girl should use what Mother Nature gave her before Father Time takes it away.”– Lawrence J. Peter, an American educator

“If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there are men on base.” — Dave Berry, a humor columnist

Summary:  Internet connected women around the world with political rallies, associations, networking events, business conferences, government activities, fashion shows, cultural gatherings, art exhibitions and festivals, and music and theatrical performances. Today every woman makes a difference in the world and does her part to develop a better, brighter, safer and rewarding future for our children.

Photos: 1. Rose & 2.Flowers by Petr Kratochvil;  3. Photo Snowdrop & 4. Tulips by Anna Cervova

Text by Svetlana Konnikova, Copyright 2009.