Leighton Meester was positively glowing while out and about with husband Adam Brody on Saturday, and it's pretty clear why — she's pregnant! The former Gossip Girl star and the O.C.
actor stepped out for a lunch date in LA, and Leighton showed off her
growing belly in a tight gray t-shirt; the couple was all smiles as they
headed to their car after a meal. It's the first child for Adam and
Leighton, who tied the knot in a secret ceremony back in February 2014. After multiple PDA-filled sightings around NYC and LA, they made their first official red carpet appearance
in June of that year when they attended the Tonys. There have been
rumblings of a possible pregnancy for Leighton since October, when she covered Nylon magazine and talked about having kids in the accompanying article. Earlier this month, she was spotted with a tiny bump while performing on stage in Vancouver. Needless to say, we're betting Leighton and Adam's little one will already have a BFF in Blake Lively's daughter, James. Keep reading to see photos!
Sometimes, the most interesting stories in the NHL playoffs are the really surprising ones.
Syria's official news agency SANA on May 10 denounced Turkey's prime
minister for making a cross-border trip to a historic tomb inside Syrian
territory, calling the visit a "clear aggression".
American Rickie Fowler beat Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner in a
play-off on a dramatic final day at the Players Championship at
Sawgrass.
Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in
different forms throughout the world. The American incarnation of
Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official
U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s
commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove
it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day
most commonly falls on the second Sunday in May and traditionally
involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts.
Mother’s Day: Historical Precursors
Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the
ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother
goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for
Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering
Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of
Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was
originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their
“mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a
special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a
more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with
flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded
in popularity before merging with the American Mother’s Day in the 1930s
and 1940s.
Mother’s Day: Early Incarnations
The roots of the modern American Mother’s Day date back to the 19th
century. In the years before the Civil War (1861-65), Ann Reeves Jarvis
of West Virginia
helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to
properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying
force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In
1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers
gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote
reconciliation.
Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”
Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Other early Mother’s Day pioneers include Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist who inspired a local Mother’s Day in Albion, Michigan, in the 1870s. The duo of Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering, meanwhile, both worked to organize a Mothers’ Day in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some have even called Hering “the father of Mothers’ Day.”
Mother’s Day: Founding by Anna Jarvis
The official Mother’s Day holiday arose in the 1900s as a result of
the efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis. Following her
mother’s 1905 death, Anna Jarvis conceived of Mother’s Day as a way of
honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children. After gaining
financial backing from a Philadelphia department store owner named John
Wanamaker, in May 1908 she organized the first official Mother’s Day
celebration at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. That same day also saw thousands of people attend a Mother’s Day event at one of Wanamaker’s retail stores in Philadelphia.
Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.
While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.
Following the success of her first Mother’s Day, Jarvis—who remained unmarried and childless her whole life—resolved to see her holiday added to the national calendar. Arguing that American holidays were biased toward male achievements, she started a massive letter writing campaign to newspapers and prominent politicians urging the adoption of a special day honoring motherhood. By 1912 many states, towns and churches had adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and Jarvis had established the Mother’s Day International Association to help promote her cause. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Anna Jarvis had originally conceived of Mother’s Day as a day of personal celebration between mothers and families. Her version of the day involved wearing a white carnation as a badge and visiting one’s mother or attending church services. But once Mother’s Day became a national holiday, it was not long before florists, card companies and other merchants capitalized on its popularity.
While Jarvis had initially worked with the floral industry to help raise Mother’s Day’s profile, by 1920 she had become disgusted with how the holiday had been commercialized. She outwardly denounced the transformation and urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. Jarvis eventually resorted to an open campaign against Mother’s Day profiteers, speaking out against confectioners, florists and even charities. She also launched countless lawsuits against groups that had used the name “Mother’s Day,” eventually spending most of her personal wealth in legal fees. By the time of her death in 1948 Jarvis had disowned the holiday altogether, and even actively lobbied the government to see it removed from the American calendar.
Mother’s Day: Celebrations and Traditions
While versions of Mother’s Day are celebrated throughout the world,
traditions vary depending on the country. In Thailand, for example,
Mother’s Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of the
current queen, Sirikit. Another alternate observance of Mother’s Day can
be found in Ethiopia, where families gather each fall to sing songs and
eat a large feast as part of Antrosht, a multi-day celebration honoring
motherhood.
In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families might also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.
In the United States, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated by presenting mothers and other women with gifts and flowers, and it has become one of the biggest holidays for consumer spending. Families might also celebrate by giving mothers a day off from activities like cooking or other household chores. At times Mother’s Day has also been a date for launching political or feminist causes. In 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., used Mother’s Day to host a march in support of underprivileged women and children. In the 1970s women’s groups also used the holiday as a time to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.
Resistance is futile: no matter which non-linear platform you visit,
beginning May 27, USA Network's new hacker drama Mr. Robot will find
you.
BUFFALO (AP) — The United States defeated Canada 3-0 Sunday to win the world sledge hockey championship.
