International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 each year, is a global event that honours the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. In Italy, this anniversary has the unique tradition of giving mimosa flowers to women.

The tradition of distributing mimosas on International Women’s Day in Italy dates back to 1946, when Italian feminist and politician Teresa Mattei proposed the idea of using the flower as a symbol of the holiday. Mattei chose the mimosa because it blooms at the beginning of March, is fragrant and has a bright yellow colour that represents the vitality and strength of women.