Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Local florists are not the only ones getting advance orders of flower ulas, being flown in from Honolulu, as several local stores are offering the same service, and its booming as Mother’s Day nears.

This Sunday, American Samoa joins the rest of the nation in honoring all mothers.

Neighboring Samoa also celebrates Mother’s Day (Saturday in American Samoa) and many local residents are either heading to Apia or are already there. It's one of the holidays that keeps inter-Samoa flights busy — annually.

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga calls Mother’s Day, “A celebration of Motherhood” saying, “We are grateful for our mothers' love, deep devotion, sacrifice and pain. It is endless, unselfish, and enduring.”

“For mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of self-centered individualism, it is they who testify to the beauty of life,” the governor continued. “Certainly, a society without mothers would be dehumanized, for mothers are always, even in the worst of times, witnesses to tenderness, dedication and strength.”

Mother’s Day for American Samoa will include church services territory-wide, with special church programs performed by mothers and for mothers. Performances range from skits, to singing, and acting out plays from the Bible.

Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914, designated the second Sunday in May each year as “Mother’s Day” and requested the President to call for its appropriate observance.

As residents of American Samoa prepare for Sunday’s special day, the Department of Public Safety is calling on motorists to be careful in areas where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, such as the Laufou Shopping Center, as people are out doing last minute shopping.

DPS plans to beef up road patrol to ensure a safe Mother’s Day weekend in the territory.

Florists reached by telephone this week say Friday and Saturday are their busiest days.

Samoa News has discovered that several stores are taking advance orders for flower ulas or leis, which are flown in from Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines which arrived at 6:30a.m. Friday.

Two stores visited by Samoa News on Tuesday said they have been taking ula orders for Mother’s Day and graduation events for at least two years. “It's always Mother’s Day that is really busy for lei orders,” said a clerk at one of the stores.

At another store, a representative said if the Hawaiian flight arrives on time, the ulas would be ready for pick up by their customers later Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.

Besides flower ulas, there is also a big demand on Mother’s Day — as well as during graduation season — for candy ula, which are made locally, according to customers and stores contacted by Samoa News.

Grocery stores are hoping to pick up more customers Saturday for Mother’s Day purchases, including to’ona’i items.

Those who don't want to cook can take mom out to certain restaurants offering specials for brunch — it’s Mama’s day off — no clean up, no organizing, and no obligations — except to look and feel beautiful and be appreciated and loved.

Samoa News staff and management wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, as well as those who serve as caretakers in our community.