Have a flower to celebrate International Women's Day with me!

It's almost 100 years that International Women's Day is celebrated to fight for women's rights. Clara Zetkin and the socialdemocrat women's meeting in 1910 had decided on one day all over the world. It soon became March 8th, a day women in USA and Russia had gone on strike for equal pay. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. Not in Germany, yet.
For many years I had been standing in front of offices and factories early in the morning to give a red carnation to the women coming to work. (Some believe the flower of the day is a red rose, but I'm a sticking to the workers' movements traditions.)
Then my children took over and gave me a flower and a small bottle of champagne for breakfast on March 8th to make it a special day for me.
Now I'm here in Berlin, having breakfast on my own without a carnation and without champagne, but will have some special treats later. There's a huge program in Berlin to choose from. And so much done by trade unions world wide, see for yourself at labourstart.
There's this great show in Saalbau Neukölln tonight, with "Damenorchester Salome", a terrific women's orchestra, with a special program for women's day. So tonight will be a girls' night out.
Since about twenty years, women's rights and special laws and politics are considered important enough in the german government to have their own ministry. They celebrate with discussions in the parliament today. But just decided that the proposed kindergarden places for all german kids will have to be postponed. They want to check first whether we need them! Har-har!
News make it a special day now as well, with programs on tv, and articles in the papers. I remember well when it had been a no-no in western Germany, and was considered leftwing or - worse - communist.
This year even shops join the celebrating crowd and offer special treats for women on March 8th. IKEA will give a free dinner to all women family card members. That doesn't solve our problems with equal pay and rights and enough kindergarden places for children to allow the mothers (and fathers) to work, but it's nice.
So happy International Women's Day to all of you! Fight for all women's rights to equality, jobs, peace and health. And don't forget to party as well!