Mother's Day is a celebration honoring themother of the family or individual, as well asmotherhood,maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such asFather's Day,Siblings Day, andGrandparents' Day.
Countries around the world have a multi-century history of a day to celebrate mothers.
In the United States, the modern version of the holiday began in the early 20th century at the initiative ofAnna Jarvis. She organized the first Mother's Dayservice of worship and celebration atAndrews Methodist Episcopal Church inGrafton, West Virginia, which serves as the International Mother's Day Shrine today.[1] It is not directly related to the many traditional celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have existed throughout the world over thousands of years, such as theGreek cult toCybele, the mother deityRhea, the Roman festival ofHilaria, or the other Christian ecclesiasticalMothering Sunday celebration (associated with the image ofMother Church).[2][3][4][5] However, in some countries, Mother's Day is still synonymous with these older traditions.[6][7][8]
The American version of Mother's Day has been criticized for having become too commercialized.[9][10] Jarvis herself, who began the celebration as a liturgical observance, regretted thiscommercialism and expressed that this was never her intention.[1][11] In response,Constance Adelaide Smith successfully advocated for Mothering Sunday as a commemoration of a broader definition of motherhood in many other parts of theEnglish-speaking world.[12]
Establishment of holiday
Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church, the site of the first Mother's Day religious service in 1908, is the International Mother's Day Shrine.
The modern holiday was first celebrated in 1907, whenAnna Jarvis held the first Mother's Dayservice of worship atAndrews Methodist Episcopal Church inGrafton, West Virginia.[1][13] Andrew's Methodist Church now holds the International Mother's Day Shrine.[1] Her campaign to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her mother,Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Ann Jarvis had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of theAmerican Civil War, and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. She and another peace activist and suffragist,Julia Ward Howe, had been urging for the creation of a "Mother's Day For Peace" where mothers would ask that their husbands and sons were no longer killed in wars. Forty years before it became an official holiday, Ward Howe had made herMother's Day Proclamation in 1870, which called upon mothers of all nationalities to band together to promote the "amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace."[14] Anna Jarvis wanted to honor this and to set aside a day to honor all mothers because she believed a mother is "the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world".[15]
In 1908, theU.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday, joking that they would also have to proclaim a "Mother-in-law's Day".[16] However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all U.S. states observed the holiday,[17] with some of them officially recognizing Mother's Day as a local holiday[18] (the first being West Virginia, Jarvis' home state, in 1910). In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating Mother's Day, held on the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.[19]
Although Jarvis, who started Mother's Day as a liturgical service, was successful in founding the celebration, she became resentful of the commercialization of the holiday, and it became associated with the phrase "Hallmark holiday". By the early 1920s,Hallmark Cards and other companies had started selling Mother's Day cards. Jarvis believed that the companies had misinterpreted and exploited the idea of Mother's Day, and that the emphasis of the holiday was on sentiment, not profit. As a result, she organized boycotts of Mother's Day and threatened to issuelawsuits against the companies involved.[20] Jarvis argued that people should appreciate and honor their mothers through handwritten letters expressing their love and gratitude, instead of buying gifts and pre-made cards.[19] Jarvis protested at a candy makers' convention inPhiladelphia in 1923, and at a meeting ofAmerican War Mothers in 1925. By this time,carnations had become associated with Mother's Day, and the selling of carnations by the American War Mothers to raise money angered Jarvis, who was arrested fordisturbing the peace.[19][20]
In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrase "Second Sunday in May, Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, Founder", and created the Mother's Day International Association.[26] She specifically noted that "Mother's" should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor its own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world."[27] This is also the spelling used by U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson in his 1914 presidential proclamation, by the U.S. Congress in relevant bills,[28][29] and by various U.S. presidents in their proclamations concerning Mother's Day.[30]
Dates around the world
While the United States holiday was adopted by some other countries, existing celebrations, held on different dates, honoring motherhood have become described as "Mother's Day", such asMothering Sunday in the United Kingdom[31] or, in Greece, theEastern Orthodox celebration of the presentation ofJesus Christ to the temple (2 February ofJulian Calendar). Both the secular and religious Mother Day are present inGreece.[32] Mothering Sunday is often referred to as "Mother's Day" even though it is an unrelated celebration.[31]
In some countries, the date adopted is one significant to the majority religion, such asVirgin Mary Day in Catholic countries. Other countries selected a date with historical significance. For example, Bolivia's Mother's Day is a fixed date, May 27, commemorating a battle in which women participated to defend their children.[33]
Some countries, such asRussia, celebrateInternational Women's Day instead of Mother's Day[34] or simply celebrate both holidays, which is the custom in Ukraine. Kyrgyzstan has recently[when?] introduced Mother's Day, but "year on year International Women's Day is certainly increasing in status"[according to whom?].[35][failed verification]
Mother's Day in theNetherlands in 1925Northern Pacific Railway postcard for Mother's Day 1916.Mother's Day gift in 2007Mother and daughter and Mother's Day card
In most countries, Mother's Day is an observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in theUnited States, promoted by companies who saw benefit in making it popular.[9] As adopted by other countries and cultures, the holiday has different meanings, is associated with different events (religious, historical or legendary), and is celebrated on different dates.
In some cases, countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations then adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, such as giving carnations and other presents to one's mother.[citation needed]
The extent of the celebrations varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one's mother not to mark Mother's Day. In others, it is a little-known festival celebrated mainly by immigrants, or covered by the media as a taste of foreign culture.[citation needed]
Religion
In certain traditional branches ofChristianity, the holiday is strongly associated with revering theVirgin Mary.[63] In some Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican homes, families have a special shrine on theirhome altar devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary.[64] In many Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a special prayer service is held in honor of theTheotokos Virgin Mary.[65][66]
InIslam, special attention is paid to mothers.The Prophet Muhammad said in this regard: ″The Paradise is beneath mother's feet″[67]Also there is no concept of Mother's Day inIslam, but theQuran teaches that children should give priority to loving their mother over their father.[68] Quran the holy book ofMuslims has mentioned the status and respect ofMother in many verses: SurahAl-Isra, verse 23,Al-Ahqaf, verse 15,Luqman, verse 14 andAl-Baqarah, verse 233, is one of them.
InHindu tradition, Mother's Day is called "Mata Tirtha Aunshi" or "Mother Pilgrimage fortnight", and is celebrated in countries with a Hindu population, especially in Nepal, where mothers are honored with special foods. The holiday is observed on the new moon day in the month ofBaisakh, i.e., April/May. This celebration is based on the Hindu religion and it pre-dates the creation of the US-inspired celebration by at least a few centuries.[69]
In Albania, as in a number of Balkan and Eastern European countries, Mother's Day is celebrated on 8 March, in conjunction withInternational Women's Day.[71]
Arab world
Mother's Day in most Arab countries is celebrated on 21 March. It was introduced in Egypt by journalistMustafa Amin[72] and was first celebrated in 1956.[73][74] The practice has since been adopted by other Arab countries.[74]
Argentina
InArgentina, Mother's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of October. The holiday was originally celebrated on 11 October, the old liturgical date for the celebration of theMaternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary but after theSecond Vatican Council, which moved the Virgin Mary festivity to 1 January, the Mother's Day started to be celebrated the third Sunday of October because of popular tradition.[54]Argentina is the only country in the world that celebrates Mother's Day on this date.[75]
In Australia, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Australia celebrated Mother’s Day for the first time in 1910 with special church services, however, it was not popularly observed until the 1920s.[76][77] Because it is autumn in Australia for Mother’s Day, and carnations are a spring flower, white chrysanthemums are the traditional Mother’s Day flower in Australia.[78]
Bangladesh
There is no historical tradition of celebrating Mother's Day (Bengali:মা দিবস,romanized: Mā Dibôs) in Bangladesh, and it has become popular in the country due to western influences. It is celebrated on the second Sunday of May and is not apublic holiday. Mother's Day was not very popular and in recent times it has been spread more widely by theMillennial andGeneration Z communities across the country throughsocial media. Although many religious families do not celebrate it, it is more widespread than ever before. There is a popular phrase used by many parents, including mothers, which is "Every day is Father's/Mother's Day so you will love your parents every day." Most people just wish or pray for their mother, but many frombig cities likeDhaka,Chittagong,Khulna,Sylhet,Barishal,Narayangonj,Bogura etc. go to restaurants to celebrate, many also cut cakes. Many others cut cakes at home ororder meals online. Some children may give small gifts to their mothers.[citation needed]
Belarus
Belarus celebrates Mother's Day on 14 October. Like other ex-Communist republics, Belarus used to celebrate only International Women's Day on 8 March. Mother's Day in Belarus was officially established by the Belarusian government, and it was celebrated for the first time in 1996.[53] The celebration of the Virgin Mary (the holiday of Protection of the Holy Mother of God) is celebrated on the same day.[79]
Bhutan
Mother's Day inBhutan is celebrated on 8 May. It was introduced in Bhutan by the Tourism Council of Bhutan.[80]
Belgium
InBelgium, Mother's Day (Moederdag orMoederkesdag inDutch andFête des Mères inFrench) is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. In the week before this holiday children make little presents at primary school, which they give to their mothers in the early morning of Mother's Day. Typically, the father will buycroissants and other sweet breads and pastries and bring these to the mother while she is still in bed – the beginning of a day of pampering for the mother. There are also many people who celebrate Mother's Day on 15 August instead; these are mostly people aroundAntwerp, who consider that day (Assumption) the classical Mother's Day and the observance in May an invention for commercial reasons. It was originally established on that day as the result of a campaign byFrans Van Kuyck, a painter and Alderman from Antwerp.[81]
Bolivia
InBolivia, Mother's Day is celebrated on 27 May. ElDía de la Madre Boliviana was passed into law on 8 November 1927, during the presidency ofHernando Siles Reyes. The date commemorates theBattle of La Coronilla, which took place on 27 May 1812, during theBolivian War of Independence, in what is now the city ofCochabamba. In this battle, women fighting for the country's independence were slaughtered by the Spanish army. It is not a public holiday, but all schools hold activities and festivities throughout the day.[33]
Brazil
InBrazil, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. The first Mother's Day in Brazil was promoted by Associação Cristã de Moços dePorto Alegre (Young Men's Christian Association of Porto Alegre) on 12 May 1918. In 1932, then PresidentGetúlio Vargas made the second Sunday of May the official date for Mother's Day. In 1947, ArchbishopJaime de Barros Câmara, Cardinal-Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, decided that this holiday would also be included in the official calendar of the Catholic Church.[citation needed]
Mother's Day is not an official holiday (seePublic holidays in Brazil), but it is widely observed and typically involves spending time with and giving gifts to one's mother. Because of this, it is considered one of the celebrations most related toconsumerism in the country, second only toChristmas Day as the most commercially lucrative holiday.[82]
Mother's Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (it is not a public holiday or bank holiday), and typically involves small celebrations and gift-giving to one's mother, grandmother, or other important female figures in one's family.[83] Celebratory practices are very similar to those of other western nations. A Québécois tradition is for Québécois men to offer roses or other flowers to the women.[84]
China
Mother's Day is becoming more popular inChina. Carnations are a very popular Mother's Day gift and the most sold flowers in relation to the day.[85] In 1997 Mother's Day was set as the day to help poor mothers and to remind people of the poor mothers in rural areas such as China's western region.[85] In thePeople's Daily, the Chinese government's official newspaper, an article explained that "despite originating in the United States, people in China accept the holiday without hesitation because it is in line with the country's traditional ethics – respect for the elderly and filial piety towards parents."[85]
In recent years, the Communist Party member Li Hanqiu began to advocate for the official adoption of Mother's Day in memory of Meng Mu, the mother ofMèng Zǐ. He formed a non-governmental organization calledChinese Mothers' Festival Promotion Society, with the support of 100 Confucian scholars and lecturers of ethics.[86][87] Li and the Society want to replace the Western-style gift of carnations withlilies, which, in ancient times, were planted by Chinese mothers when children left home.[87] Mother's Day remains an unofficial festival, except in a small number of cities.[88]
Costa Rica
InCosta Rica, Mother's Day is celebrated on 15 August. In 1927, at the Nicolás Ulloa School in Heredia, Evangelina Solís founded an annual event that would celebrate the mothers of the students. It was held around the time of the distribution of midterm notes, in July. Evangelina's reasoning was that mothers should be congratulated for their children's successes.[89] The event gained national traction and was enacted into law in 1932. The final date of 15 August was chosen as it coincided with the celebration ofAssumption of Mary, mother of Jesus.[90]
Czech Republic
In theCzech Republic, Mother's Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May. It started in former Czechoslovakia in 1923.[47] The promoter of this celebration wasAlice Masaryková.[47] After World War II communists replaced Mother's Day with International Woman's Day, celebrated on 8 March.[47] The former Czechoslovakia celebrated Women's Day until theVelvet Revolution in 1989.[47] After the split of the country in 1993, theCzech Republic started celebrating Mother's Day again.[47]
Egypt
Mother's Day inEgypt is celebrated on 21 March, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. It was introduced in Egypt by journalistMustafa Amin[72] in his bookSmiling America (1943). The idea was overlooked at the time. Later Amin heard the story of a widowed mother who devoted her whole life to raising her son until he became a doctor. The son then married and left without showing any gratitude to his mother. Hearing this, Amin became motivated to promote "Mother's Day". The idea was first ridiculed by presidentGamal Abdel Nasser but he eventually accepted it and Mother's Day was first celebrated on 21 March 1956. The practice has since been copied by other Arab countries.[91]
When Mustafa Amin was arrested and imprisoned, the government changed the name of the holiday from "Mother's Day" to "Family Day", but they reverted the name after Egyptian mothers wrote to complain. Celebrations continued to be held on the same date[92] and classic songs celebrating mothers remain famous to this day.[93]
Ethiopia
Mother's Day is celebrated for three days inEthiopia, after the end of the rainy season. It comes in mid-fall where people enjoy a three-day feast called "Antrosht".[94]
For the feast, ingredients will be brought by the children for a traditional hash recipe. The ingredients are divided along genders, with girls bringing spices, vegetables, cheese and butter, while the boys bring a lamb or bull. The mother hands out the hash to the family.[95]
A celebration takes place after the meal. The mothers and daughters anoint themselves using butter on their faces and chests. While honoring their family and heroes, men sing songs.[96]
Estonia
InEstonia, Mother's Day (emadepäev inEstonian) is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. It is recognized nationally, but is not a public holiday.[97]
Finland
InFinland, Mother's Day (äitienpäivä inFinnish) is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. It is recognized nationally and is a public holiday. It is usually celebrated at homes where children or grandchildren bring Mother's day cards that they have drawn to their mothers and grandmothers. Usually, some food, coffee and cakes are served for guests. Grown up children visit their parents' homes and bring traditionally Mother's day roses or other flowers accompanied by a Mother's day card.The president of Finland honors with medals every year some mothers who have done something exceptional and positive during the year.[98]
France
InFrance, amidst alarm at the low birth rate, there were attempts in 1896 and 1904 to create a national celebration honoring the mothers of large families.[99] In 1906 ten mothers who had nine children each were given an award recognising "High Maternal Merit" ("Haut mérite maternel").[100] American World War I soldiers fighting in France popularized the US Mother's Day holiday created by Anna Jarvis. They sent so much mail back to their country for Mother's Day that theUnion Franco-Américaine created a postal card for that purpose.[99] In 1918, also inspired by Jarvis, the town of Lyon wanted to celebrate a "journée des Mères", but instead decided to celebrate a "Journée Nationale des Mères de familles nombreuses." The holiday was more inspired by anti-depopulation efforts than by the US holiday, with medals awarded to the mothers of large families.[99] The French government made the day official in 1920 as a day for mothers of large families.[101] Since then the French government awards theMédaille de l'enfance et des familles to mothers of large families.[102]
In 1941, by an initiative ofPhilippe Pétain, the wartimeVichy government used the celebration in support of their policy to encourage larger families, but all mothers were now honored, even mothers with smaller families.[101]
In 1950, after the war, the celebration was reinstated. The law of 24 May 1950 required (in Article 1) that the Republic pay official homage to French Mothers. Article 2 stated it should be celebrated on the last Sunday in May as the "Fête des Mères" (except when Pentecost fell on that day, in which case it was moved to the first Sunday in June). Article 3 stated that all expenditure shall be covered from the budget of the Ministry of Public Health and Population.[103]
During the 1950s, the celebration lost all its patriotic and natalist ideologies, and became heavily commercialized.[99]
In 1956, the celebration was given a budget and integrated into the newCode de l'action Sociale et des familles. In 2004 responsibility for the holiday was transferred to the Minister responsible for families.[citation needed]
Georgia
Georgia celebrates Mother's Day on 3 March. It was declared by the first President of GeorgiaZviad Gamsakhurdia in order to replace the International Women Day, and it was officially approved by the Supreme Council in 1991. Nowadays Georgia celebrates both Mother's Day on 3 March and International Women's Day on 8 March.[36]
Germany
This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: This section doesn't include any history of Mother's Day after the Second World War. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2025)
Germany celebrates Mother's Day on the 2nd Sunday in May.
In the 1920s, Germany had the lowest birthrate in Europe, and the declining trend was continuing. This was attributed to women's participation in the labor market. At the same time, influential groups in society (politicians of left and right, churchwomen, and feminists) believed that mothers should be honored but could not agree on how to do so. However, all groups strongly agreed on the promotion of the values of motherhood. In 1923, this resulted in the unanimous adoption ofMuttertag, the Mother's Day holiday as imported from America.[104] The head of the Association of German Florists cited "the inner conflict of ourVolk and the loosening of the family" as his reason for introducing the holiday. He expected that the holiday would unite the divided country. In 1925, the Mother's Day Committee joined the task force for the recovery of thevolk, and the holiday stopped depending on commercial interests and began emphasizing the need to increase the population in Germany by promoting motherhood.[105]
The holiday was then seen as a means to encourage women to bear more children, which nationalists saw as a way to rejuvenate the nation. The holiday did not celebrate individual women, but an idealized standard of motherhood. The progressive forces resisted the implementation of the holiday because it was backed by so many conservatives and because they saw it as a way to eliminate the rights of working women.Die Frau, the newspaper of the Federation of German Women's Associations, refused to recognize the holiday. Many local authorities adopted their own interpretation of the holiday: it would be a day to support economically larger families or single-mother families. The guidelines for the subsidies hadeugenics criteria, but there is no indication that social workers ever implemented them in practice, and subsidies were given preferentially to families in economic need rather than to families with more children or "healthier" children.[105]
With the Nazi party in power during 1933–1945, the situation changed radically. The promotion of Mother's Day increased in many European countries, including the UK and France. From the position of the German Nazi government, the role of mothers was to give healthy children to the German nation. The Nazi party's intention was to create a pure "Aryan race" according tonazi eugenics. Among other Mother's Day ideas, the government promoted the death of a mother's sons in battle as the highest embodiment of patriotic motherhood.[105][106]
The Nazis quickly declared Mother's Day an official holiday and put it under the control of the NSV (National Socialist People's Welfare) and the NSF (National Socialist Women's League). This created conflicts with other organizations that resented Nazi control of the holiday, including Catholic and Protestant churches and local women's organizations. Local authorities resisted the guidelines from the Nazi government and continued assigning resources to families who were in economic need, much to the dismay of the Nazi officials.[105]
In 1938, the government began issuing an award calledMother's Cross (Mutterkreuz), according to categories that depended on the number of children a mother had. The medal was awarded on Mother's Day and also on other holidays due to a large number of recipients. The Cross was an effort to encourage women to have more children, and recipients were required to have at least four.[105][106]
The modern Mother's Day has been assimilated intoIndian culture[110] and is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May.[111][112] Indians do not celebrate the occasion as a religious event; its celebration is mostly restricted to urban areas where the occasion has been largely commercialized.[113]
Indonesia
Indonesian Mother's Day (Indonesian:Hari Ibu) is celebrated nationally on 22 December. The date was made an official holiday by PresidentSukarno under Presidential Decree No. 316/1953, on the 25th anniversary of the 1928 Indonesian Women Congress. The day originally sought to celebrate the spirit of Indonesian women and to improve the condition of the nation. Today, the meaning of Mother's Day has changed, and it is celebrated by expressing love and gratitude to mothers. People present gifts to mothers (such as flowers) and hold surprise parties and competitions, which include cooking andkebaya wearing. People also allow mothers a day off from domestic chores.[114][58]
The holiday is celebrated on the anniversary of the opening day of the first Indonesian Women Congress (Kongres Perempuan Indonesia), which was held from 22 to 25 December 1928.[57][58][115] The Congress took place in a building called Dalem Jayadipuran, which now serves as the office of the Center of History and Traditional Values Preservation (Balai Pelestarian Sejarah dan Nilai Tradisional) in Brigjen Katamso Street,Yogyakarta. The Congress was attended by 30 feminist organizations from 12 cities inJava andSumatra. In Indonesia, feminist organizations have existed since 1912, inspired by Indonesian heroines of the 19th century, e.g.,Kartini,Martha Christina Tiahahu,Cut Nyak Meutia,Maria Walanda Maramis,Dewi Sartika,Nyai Ahmad Dahlan,Rasuna Said, etc.[57] The Congress intended to improve women's rights in education and marriage.[116]
Indonesia also celebrates theKartini Day (Hari Kartini) on 21 April, in memory of activistRaden Ajeng Kartini. This is a celebration of the emancipation of women.[115] The observance was instituted at the 1938 Indonesian Women Congress.[116]
During PresidentSuharto'sNew Order (1965–1998), government propaganda used Mother's Day and Kartini Day to inculcate into women the idea that they should be docile and stay at home.[116]
Iran
Commemorative gold medal issued in thePahlavi era on the occasion of Mother's Day, dated 1975.Obv: Bust of EmpressFarah Pahlavi.Rev: Mother and children standing around a seated Farah Pahlavi, holding open bookCelebration of the Mother's Day
InIran, Mother's Day is celebrated on 20Jumada al-thani. This is the sixth month in the Islamic calendar (a lunar calendar) and every year the holiday falls on a different day of the Gregorian calendar. This is the birthday anniversary ofFatimah, the Islamic prophetMuhammad's only daughter according toShia Islam.[62][117] On this day, banners reading "Ya Fatemeah (O! Fatemeh)" are displayed on "government buildings, private buildings, public streets and car windows."[62] Mother's Day was originally observed on 16 December but the date was changed after theIranian Revolution in 1979. The celebration is both Women's Day (replacing International Women's Day) and Mother's Day.[62][118]
In 1960, the Institute for Women Protection adopted the Western holiday and established it on 25Azar (16 December), the date the Institute was founded. The Institute's action had the support of EmpressFarah Pahlavi, the wife of the last Shah of Persia, who promoted the construction of maternity clinics in remote parts of the country to commemorate the day.[119]Pahlavi regime used the holiday to promote "gender ideologies" of the regime.[62] The Shah's government honored and gave awards to women who represented the idealized view of the regime, including mothers who had many healthy children.[119]
According to Shahla Haeri, the Islamic Republic government has used the holiday to "control and channel women's movements" and to promote role models for the traditional concept of family.[120] Fatimah is seen by these critics as the chosen model of a woman completely dedicated to certain traditionally sanctioned feminine roles.[121] However, supporters of the choice contend that there is much more to her life story than simply such "traditional" roles.[122]
Ireland
InIreland, Mother's Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday ofLent, as in the United Kingdom, and has the same roots inMothering Sunday. The practice died out in Ireland around the late 18th century but was revived around the 1950s due toAmericanisation.[123][124][125]
Israel
The Jewish population of Israel used to celebrate Mother's Day onShevat 30 of the Jewish calendar, which falls between 30 January and 1 March. The celebration was set as the same date thatHenrietta Szold died (13 February 1945). Henrietta had no biological children, but her organizationYouth Aliyah rescued many Jewish children from Nazi Germany and provided for them. She also championed children's rights. Szold is considered the "mother" of all those children, and that is why her annual remembrance day (יום השנה) was set as Mother's Day (יוֹם הָאֵם, yom ha'em). The holiday has evolved over time, becoming a celebration of mutual love inside the family, called Family Day (יוֹם הַמִשְּפָּחָה, yom hamishpacha). This holiday is mainly celebrated in preschools with an activity to which parents are invited. Mother's Day is mainly celebrated by children at kindergartens. There are no longer mutual gifts among members of the family, and there is no longer any commercialization of the celebration. It is not an official holiday.[59]
Italy
Mother's Day inItaly was celebrated for the first time on 24 December 1933 as the "Day of the mother and the child" (Giornata della madre e del fanciullo). It was instituted by theOpera nazionale maternità e infanzia in order to publicly reward the most prolific Italian women every year.[126]
AfterWorld War II, Mother's Day was first celebrated on 12 May 1957 inAssisi, at the initiative of Reverend Otello Migliosi, theparish priest of theTordibetto church.[127] This celebration was so popular that in the following year Mother's Day was adopted throughout Italy. On 18 December 1958, a proposal was presented to theItalian Senate to make the holiday official.[128]
Japan
InJapan, Mother's Day (母の日,Haha no Hi) was initially commemorated during theShōwa period as the birthday ofEmpress Kōjun (mother ofEmperor Akihito) on 6 March. This was established in 1931 when the Imperial Women's Union was organized. In 1937, the first meeting of "Praise Mothers" was held on 8 May, and in 1949 Japanese society adopted the second Sunday of May as the official date for Mother's Day in Japan. Today, people typically give their mothers gifts of flowers such as redcarnations[129] androses. Giving carnations on Mother's Day is the most common in Japan.[citation needed]
Mother's Day in Lithuania was celebrated for the first time in 1928. In Lithuania, Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May.
Malawi
InMalawi, Mother's Day is a public holiday. The day is observed on 15 October or the following workday. It is celebrated on the UN's World Rural Women's Day.
Maldives
In theMaldives, Mother's Day is celebrated on 13 May. The day is celebrated in different ways. Children give gifts and spend time with their mothers. Daughters give their mothers cards and handmade gifts and sons give their mothers gifts and flowers. Maldivians love to celebrate Mother's day, and they have it specially written on their calendar.[citation needed]
Malta
The first mention of Mother's Day inMalta occurred during the Radio Children's Programmes run by Frans H. Said in May 1961. Within a few years, Mother's Day became one of the most popular dates in the Maltese calendar. In Malta, this day is commemorated on the second Sunday in May. Mothers are invariably given gifts and invited for lunch, usually at a good quality restaurant.[citation needed]
InMexico, the government ofÁlvaro Obregón imported the Mother's Day holiday from the US in 1922, and the newspaperExcélsior held a massive promotional campaign for the holiday that year.[135] The conservative government tried to use the holiday to promote a more conservative role for mothers in families, but that perspective was criticized by the socialists as promoting an unrealistic image of a woman who was not good for much more than breeding.[135]
In the mid-1930s, the leftist government ofLázaro Cárdenas promoted the holiday as a "patriotic festival". The Cárdenas government tried to use the holiday as a vehicle for various efforts: to stress the importance of families as the basis for national development; to benefit from the loyalty that Mexicans felt towards their mothers; to introduce new morals to Mexican women; and to reduce the influence that the church and the Catholic right exerted over women.[136] The government sponsored the holiday in the schools.[136] However, ignoring the strict guidelines from the government, theatre plays were filled with religious icons and themes. Consequently, the "national celebrations" became "religious fiestas" despite the efforts of the government.[136]
Soledad Orozco García, the wife of PresidentManuel Ávila Camacho, promoted the holiday during the 1940s, resulting in an important state-sponsored celebration.[137] The 1942 celebration lasted a full week and included an announcement that all women could reclaim their pawned sewing machines from theMonte de Piedad at no cost.[137]
Due to Orozco's promotion, the CatholicNational Synarchist Union (UNS) took heed of the holiday around 1941.[138] Shop-owner members of the Party of the Mexican Revolution (now theInstitutional Revolutionary Party) observed a custom allowing women from humble classes to pick a free Mother's Day gift from a shop to bring home to their families. The Synarchists worried that this promoted both materialism and the idleness of lower classes, and in turn, reinforced the systemic social problems of the country.[139] Currently this holiday practice is viewed as very conservative, but the 1940s' UNS saw Mother's Day as part of the larger debate on the modernization that was happening at the time.[140] This economic modernization was inspired by US models and was sponsored by the state. The fact that the holiday was originally imported from the US was seen as evidence of an attempt at imposing capitalism and materialism in Mexican society.[140]
The UNS and the clergy of the city ofLeón interpreted the government's actions as an effort to secularize the holiday and to promote a more active role for women in society. They concluded that the government's long-term goal was to cause women to abandon their traditional roles at home in order to spiritually weaken men.[140] They also saw the holiday as an attempt to secularize the cult to the Virgin Mary, inside a larger effort to dechristianize several holidays. The government sought to counter these claims by organizing widespread masses and asking religious women to assist with the state-sponsored events in order to "depaganize" them.[141] The clergy preferred to promote 2 July celebration of the SantísimaVirgen de la Luz, the patron ofLeón, Guanajuato, in replacement of Mother's Day.[138] In 1942, at the same time as Soledad's greatest celebration of Mother's Day, the clergy organized the 210th celebration of the Virgin Mary with a large parade in León.[141]
There is a consensus among scholars that the Mexican government abandoned its revolutionary initiatives during the 1940s, including its efforts to influence Mother's Day.[138]
Today the "Día de las Madres" is an unofficial holiday in Mexico held each year on 10 May,[142] the day on which it was first celebrated in Mexico.[143]
In Mexico, to show affection and appreciation to the mother, it is traditional to start the celebration with the famous song "Las Mañanitas", either a cappella, with the help of a mariachi or a contracted trio. Families usually gather to celebrate, trying to spend as much time as possible with mothers to honor them. They bring some dishes and eat together or visit a restaurant.[144]
Myanmar
In Myanmar, Mothers' Day (the plural form of mother is used as an official title[145]) is celebrated on the full moon day ofPyatho, the tenth month of the Myanmar calendar, which usually falls in January.[146] At the proposal and initiative ofU Thukha, who put a lot of effort into founding this day, it was first celebrated inMandalay on the full moon day of Pyatho in 1995, but it was officially added to the Myanmar calendar in 1997, two years after its first celebration.[147]
People who are away from home, send postcards or phone their mothers to express love and gratitude and those who live with their mother, give her personal service, like bathing or shampooing, and usually take her to pagodas.[148]
Nepal
InNepal, there is a festival equivalent to Mother's Day, called Mata Tirtha Aunsi ("Mother Pilgrimage New Moon"), or Mata TirthaPuja ("Mother Pilgrimage Worship"). It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. It falls on the last day of the dark fortnight in the month ofBaishakh which falls in April–May (in 2015, it will occur on 18 April). The dark fortnight lasts for 15 days from the full moon to the new moon. This festival is observed to commemorate and honor mothers, and it is celebrated by giving gifts to mothers and remembering mothers who are no more.[citation needed]
To honor mothers who have died, it is the tradition to go on a pilgrimage to the Mata Tirtha ponds, located 6 km to the southwest of downtownKathmandu. The nearbyMata Tirtha village is named after these ponds. Previously, the tradition was observed primarily by theNewar community and other people living in theKathmandu Valley. Now this festival is widely celebrated across the country.[citation needed]
Many tragicfolklore legends have been created, suggesting different reasons why this pond became a pilgrimage site. The most popular version says that, in ancient times, the mother of a shepherd died, and he made offerings to a nearby pond. There he saw the face of his mother in the water, with her hand taking the offerings. Since then, many people have visited the pond, hoping to see their deceased mother's face. Pilgrims believe that they will bring peace to their mothers' souls by visiting the sacred place. There are two ponds. The larger one is for ritual bathing. The smaller one is used to "look upon mother's face", and is fenced by iron bars to prevent people from bathing in it.[citation needed]
Traditionally, in the Kathmandu valley the South-Western corner is reserved for women and women-related rituals, and the North-Eastern is for men and men-related rituals. The worship place for Mata Tirtha Aunsi is located in Mata Tirtha in the South-Western half of the valley, while the worship place forGokarna Aunsi, the equivalent celebration for deceased fathers is located inGokarna, Nepal, in the North-Eastern half. This division is reflected in many aspects of the life in Kathmandu valley.[149]
Mother's Day is known as Aama ko Mukh Herne Din inNepali, which literally means "day to see mother's face". InNepal Bhasa, the festival is known as Mām yā Khwā Swayegu, which can be translated as "to look upon mother's face".[citation needed]
Netherlands
In theNetherlands, Mother's Day was introduced as early as 1910 by the Dutch branch of theSalvation Army.[150] The Royal Dutch Society for Horticulture and Botany, a group protecting the interest of Dutch florists, worked to promote the holiday; they hoped to emulate the commercial success achieved by American florists.[151] They were imitating the campaign already underway by florists in Germany and Austria, but they were aware that the traditions had originated in the US.[151]
Florists launched a major promotional effort in 1925. This included the publication of a book of articles written by famous intellectuals, radio broadcasts, newspapers ads, and the collaboration of priests and teachers who wanted to promote the celebration for their own reasons.[151] In 1931 the second Sunday of May was adopted as the official celebration date. In the mid-1930s the sloganMoederdag – Bloemendag (Mother's Day – Flowers' Day) was coined, and the phrase was popular for many years.[152] In the 1930s and 1940s "Mother's Day cakes" were given as gifts in hospitals and to theDutch Queen, who is known as the "mother of the country".[152] Other trade groups tried to cash in on the holiday and to give new meaning to the holiday in order to promote their own wares as gifts.[152]
Roman Catholic priests complained that the holiday interfered with the honoring of the Virgin Mary, the divine mother, which took place during the whole month of May. In 1926 Mother's Day was celebrated on 7 July in order to address these complaints.[153] Catholic organizations and priests tried to Christianize the holiday, but those attempts were rendered futile around the 1960s when the church lost influence and the holiday was completely secularized.[153]
In later years, the initial resistance disappeared, and even leftist newspapers stopped their criticism and endorsed Mother's Day.[154]
In the 1980s, the American origin of the holiday was still not widely known, so feminist groups who opposed the perpetuation of gender roles sometimes claimed that Mother's Day was invented by Nazis and celebrated on the birthday ofKlara Hitler, Hitler's mother.[155]
New Zealand
InNew Zealand, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Mother's Day is not a public holiday. The New Zealand tradition is to send or give cards and gifts, and for children to serve their mothers breakfast in bed.[156]
Nicaragua
InNicaragua, theDía de la Madre has been celebrated on 30 May since the early 1940s. The date was chosen by PresidentAnastasio Somoza García because it was the birthday of Casimira Sacasa, his wife's mother.[52]
Mother's Day was first celebrated on 9 February 1919 and was initially organized by religious institutions. Later it has become a family day, and the mother is often treated to breakfast in bed, flowers and cake.[157][better source needed]
It has gradually become a major commercial event, with special pastries, flowers and other presents offered by retailers. Day-cares and primary schools often encourage children to make cards and other gifts.[citation needed]
Pakistan
InPakistan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Media channels celebrate with special shows. Individuals honor their mothers by giving gifts and commemorative articles. Individuals who have lost their mothers pray and pay their respects to their loved ones lost. Schools hold special programs in order to acknowledge the efforts of their mothers.[158]
Panama
InPanama, Mother's Day is celebrated on 8 December, the same day as theFeast of the Immaculate Conception. This date was suggested in 1930 by the wife of Panama's PresidentFlorencio Harmodio Arosemena. 8 December was adopted as Mother's Day under Law 69, which was passed the same year.[56]
According to another account, in 1924 theRotary Club of Panama asked that Mother's Day be celebrated on 11 May. Politician Aníbal D. Ríos changed the proposal so that the celebration would be held on 8 December. He then established Mother's Day as a national holiday on that date.[159]
Paraguay
InParaguay, Mother's Day is celebrated on 15 May, the same day as theDia de la Patria, which celebrates theindependence of Paraguay.[50] This date was chosen to honor the role played by Juana María de Lara in the events of 14 May 1811 that led to Paraguay's independence.[160]
In 2008, the Paraguayan Minister of Culture, Bruno Barrios, lamented this coincidence because, in Paraguay, Mother's Day is much more popular than independence day and the independence celebration goes unnoticed. As a result, Barrios asked that the celebration be moved to the end of the month.[161] A group of young people attempted to gather 20,000 signatures to ask the Parliament to move Mother's Day.[161] In 2008, theComisión de festejos (Celebration Committee) of the city ofAsunción asked that Mother's Day be moved to the second Sunday of May.[162]
Philippines
In thePhilippines, Mother's Day is officially celebrated on the second Sunday of May, but it is not a public holiday.[163] Although not a traditional Filipino holiday, the occasion owes its popularity toAmerican Colonial Period influence.
According to a 2008 article by thePhilippine News Agency, in 1921 theIlocos Norte Federation of Women's Clubs asked to declare the first Monday of December as Mother's Day "to honor these fabulous women who brought forth God's children into this world." In response,Governor-GeneralCharles Yeater issued Circular No. 33 declaring the celebration. In 1937PresidentManuel L. Quezon issued Presidential Proclamation No. 213, changing the name of the occasion from "Mother's Day" to "Parent's Day" to address the complaints that there wasn't a "Father's Day". In 1980 PresidentFerdinand Marcos issued Presidential Proclamation No. 2037 proclaiming the date as both Mother's Day and Father's Day. In 1988 PresidentCorazon Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation No. 266, changing Mother's Day to the second Sunday of May, and Father's Day to the third Sunday of June, discontinuing the traditional date.[164] In 1998 PresidentJoseph Estrada returned both celebrations to the first Monday of December.[163]
Portugal
InPortugal, the "Dia da Mãe" ("Mother's Day") is an unofficial holiday held each year on the first Sunday of May (sometimes coinciding withLabour Day). In the weeks leading up to this Sunday, school children spend a few hours a day preparing a gift for their mothers, aided by their school teachers. In general, mothers receive gifts from their family members and this day is meant to be celebrated with the whole family.It used to be celebrated on 8 December, the same date as the Conception of the Virgin celebration.[citation needed]
Romania
InRomania, Mother's Day has been celebrated on the first Sunday of May since 2010. Law 319/2009 made both Mother's Day and Father's Day official holidays in Romania. The measure was passed thanks to campaign efforts from the Alliance Fighting Discrimination Against Fathers (TATA).[43] Previously, Mother's Day was celebrated on 8 March, as part ofInternational Women's Day (a tradition dating back to when Romania was part of theEastern bloc). Today, Mother's Day and International Women's Day are two separate holidays, with International Women's Day being held on its original date of 8 March.[citation needed]
TraditionallyRussia had celebrated International Women's Day and Mother's Day on 8 March, an inheritance from theSoviet Union, and a public holiday.[165]
Women's Day was first celebrated on the last Sunday in February in 1913 in Russia.[166]
On 8 May 1965, by the decree of thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet, International Women's Day was declared a non-working day in the Soviet Union "in commemoration of the outstanding merits of Soviet women in communistic construction, in the defense of theirFatherland during theGreat Patriotic War, in their heroism and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also marking the great contribution of women to strengthening friendship between peoples, and the struggle for peace. But still, women's day must be celebrated as are other holidays."[167]
Samoa
InSamoa, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, and as a recognised national holiday on the Monday following.
Singapore
InSingapore, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. It is not recognized as a holiday by the government.
Slovakia
Czechoslovakia celebrated only Women's Day until theVelvet Revolution in 1989. After the country split in 1993,Slovakia started celebrating both Women's Day and Mother's Day. The politicization of Women's Day has affected the official status of Mother's Day. Center-right parties want Mother's Day to replace Women's Day, and social-democrats want to make Women's Day an official holiday. Currently, both days are festive, but they are not "state holidays". In the Slovak Republic, Mother's Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May.[47]
South Africa
InSouth Africa, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. It is not recognized as a holiday by the government. The tradition is to give cards and gifts and to serve mothers breakfast in bed or to go out to lunch together as a family.
South Korea
InSouth Korea, Parents' Day (어버이날,Eobeoinal) is celebrated annually on May 8. Unlike Mother's Day, which is focused solely on mothers, Parents' Day honors both mothers and fathers. The holiday was established as an official national observance in 1973, replacing the separate celebrations of Mother's Day and Father's Day that had been observed earlier.[168][169] Typical customs include giving carnations, writing letters, and spending time with one's parents.
South Sudan
InSouth Sudan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Monday in July. The presidentSalva Kiir Mayardit proclaimed Mother's Day as the first Monday in July after handing over from Sudan. Children in South Sudan are presenting mothers with gifts and flowers. The first Mother's Day was held in that country on 2 July 2012.[citation needed]
Spain
In Spain, Mother's Day or Día de la Madre is celebrated on the first Sunday of May. The weeks leading up to this Sunday, school children spend a few hours a day preparing a gift for their mothers, aided by their school teachers. In general, mothers receive gifts from their family members & this day is meant to be celebrated with the whole family. It is also said to be celebrated in May, as May is the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary (mother of Jesus) according to Catholicism. The idea of a month dedicated specifically to Mary can be traced back to baroque times. Although it wasn't always held during May, Mary Month included thirty daily spiritual exercises honoring Mary.[170]
In 1925 the Valencian poetJulio Menéndez García published aHymn to Mother in a pamphlet in which he proposed the celebration of Mother's Day in all Spanish-speaking countries.[171] The official declaration was never produced, but at that time the initiative was adopted at a local level on different dates; thus, for example, in Madrid, Mother's Day was celebrated on 4 October 1926.[172]
In 1939 theYouth Front ofFET y de las JONS party, promoted the celebration of Mother's Day coinciding with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, on 8 December.
In the early 1960s, on the initiative of a chain of department stores (Galerías Preciados), which copied the custom established in Cuba, Mother's Day was also celebrated on the first Sunday of May (El Corte Inglés, the great competitor of Galerías Preciados, celebrated the holiday in December). The two dates, May and December, coexisted until 1965 when the ecclesiastical authorities chose to celebrate the festival in May, within the month consecrated to the Virgin, to recover the authentic character of the Day of the Immaculate Conception.[173]
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.[174]
Sweden
InSweden, Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1919, by an initiative of the author Cecilia Bååth-Holmberg. It took several decades for the day to be widely recognized. Swedes born in the early nineteen hundreds typically did not celebrate the day because of the common belief that the holiday was invented strictly for commercial purposes. This was in contrast to Father's Day, which has been widely celebrated in Sweden since the late 1970s. Mother's Day in Sweden is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. A later date was chosen to allow everyone to go outside and pick flowers.[175][176]
Switzerland
InSwitzerland, the "règle de Pentecôte" law allows Mother's Day to be celebrated a week late if the holiday falls on the same day as Pentecost. In 2008, merchants declined to move the date.[177]
Taiwan
InTaiwan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of the month of May, coinciding withBuddha's birthday and the traditional ceremony of "washing the Buddha". In 1999 the Taiwanese government established the second Sunday of May as Buddha's birthday, so they would be celebrated in the same day.[178][179]
Since 2006,[180] theTzu Chi, the largest charity organization in Taiwan, celebrates the Tzu Chi Day, Mother's Day and Buddha's birthday all together, as part of a unified celebration and religious observance.[181][182][183]
Thailand
Mother's day inThailand is celebrated on the birthday of the Queen Mother of Thailand,Sirikit (12 August).[184][185] The holiday was first celebrated around the 1980s as part of the campaign by the Prime Minister of ThailandPrem Tinsulanonda to promote Thailand's Royal family.[186] Father's Day is celebrated on the late KingBhumibol Adulyadej's birthday.[186]
Ukraine
Ukraine celebrates Mother's Day (Ukrainian:День Матері) on the second Sunday of May. In Ukraine, Mother's Day officially became a holiday in 1999[187] and has been celebrated since 2000. Ukrainian society also celebratesInternational Women's Day, a holiday adopted under theSoviet Union that remained a tradition in Ukraine afterits collapse.[citation needed]
United Kingdom
Balloons outside, in the week before Mother's Day 2008
TheUnited Kingdom celebrates Mother's Day on theFourth Sunday in Lent (30 March 2025).[188] In the United Kingdom, the holiday has its roots in the religiousMothering Sunday celebration and was originally unrelated to the international Mother's Day holiday.[31] Most historians believe that Mothering Sunday evolved from a medieval practice of visiting one's mother church annually onLaetare Sunday.[189]
The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. In 1872Julia Ward Howe called for women to join in support of disarmament and asked for 2 June 1872, to be established as a "Mother's Day for Peace". Her 1870 "Appeal to womanhood throughout the world" is sometimes referred to asMother's Day Proclamation. But Howe's day was not for honouring mothers but for organizing pacifist mothers against war. In the 1880s and 1890s there were several further attempts to establish an American "Mother's Day", but these did not succeed beyond the local level.[190]
In the United States, Mother's Day remains one of the biggest days for sales of flowers, greeting cards, and the like; Mother's Day is also the biggest holiday for dining out and for long-distance telephone calls.[191][192] Moreover,churchgoing is also popular on Mother's Day, yielding the highestchurch attendance after Christmas Eve and Easter. Many worshippers celebrate the day withcarnations, coloured if the mother is living and white if she is dead.[13][193]
It is possible that the holiday would have withered over time without the support and continuous promotion of the florist industry. Other holidays from the same time, such asChildren's Day andTemperance Sunday, do not have the same level of popularity.[194]
Enstam, Elizabeth York. "The Dallas equal suffrage association, political style, and popular culture: grassroots strategies of the Woman Suffrage Movement, 1913–1919."Journal of Southern History 68.4 (2002):817+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 14 November 2014.
References
^abcdO'Reilly, Andrea (6 April 2010).Encyclopedia of Motherhood. Sage Publications (CA). p. 602.ISBN978-1-4522-6629-9.She organized the first official Mother's Day service at Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on the morning of May 10, 1908. That same afternoon, 15,000 people attended a Mother's Day service at the Wanamaker Store Auditorium in Philadelphia, which she also organized. Jarvis chose the second Sunday in May for Mother's Day to mark the anniversary of her mother's death and selected her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation, as the day's official emblem.
^L. James Grold (April 1968), "Mother's Day",American Journal of Psychiatry,124 (10):1456–1458,doi:10.1176/ajp.124.10.1456,ISSN0002-953X,PMID5643668,Mother's Day, conceived by Anna Jarvis to honor unselfish mothers (...) Although there is no direct lineal descent to our modern Mother's Day custom, secular and religious motherhood have existed for thousands of years before 10 May 1908: the first church – St. Andrew's in Grafton, West Virginia – responded to her request for a Sunday service honoring mothers . Cybele (...)
^Robert J. Myers,Hallmark Cards (1972),Celebrations; the complete book of American holidays,Doubleday, p. 143,ISBN9780385076777,Our observance of Mother's Day is little more than half a century old [this was written in 1972], yet the nature of the holiday makes it seem as if it had its roots in prehistoric times. Many antiquarians, holiday enthusiasts, and students of folklore have claimed to find the source of Mother's Day in the ancient spring festivals dedicated to the mother goddess, particularly the worship of Cybele.
^Helsloot 2007, p. 208 "The American origin of the Day, however, was duly acknowledged. 'The idea is imported,. America led the way.'"
^Diller, Harriett (1990).Celebrations That Matter: A Year-Round Guide to Making Holidays Meaningful. Augsburg. p. 35.ISBN978-0-8066-2498-3.In England, Mothering Sunday is a day to honor both your mother church and your own mother. In the past, young people working away from home visited their mothers and the churches where they were baptized on Mothering Sunday.
^Pearson, Sharon Ely; Szoke, Robyn (2009).The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education, Third Edition.Church Publishing. p. 49.ISBN978-0-8192-2337-1.Mothering Sunday – In England children away from home at school or work were permitted to go home to visit their mothers and/or to visit their cathedral or mother church on this fourth Sunday of Lent. Today, many cathedrals and "mother" churches invite all who had been baptized there to return "home" to worship.
^abSmith, C. Penswick (1921).The Revival of Mothering Sunday. London: SPCK.
^Compare footnote 51 inLaRossa, Ralph (1997).The Modernization of Fatherhood: A Social and Political History. University of Chicago Press. p. 272.ISBN978-0226469041. Retrieved28 April 2016.Technically, at least, Mother's Day was 'owned' by Jarvis. She managed not only to incorporate the Mother's Day International Association but also to register 'Second Sunday in May, Mother's Day, Anna Jarvis, Founder,' as the organization's trademark.
^House Vote No. 275 (7 May 2008)Archived 22 November 2008 at theWayback Machine Table Motion to Reconsider: H RES 1113 Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day
^Presidential proclamations from The American Presidency Project:
^abPadre Fabián Castro (3 October 2010)."El día de la madre en el mundo y en la Argentina" (in Spanish). padrefabian.com.ar. Retrieved13 May 2013.La cuestión tiene que ver con el calendario litúrgico que la Iglesia Católica utilizaba antes de la reforma producto del Concilio Vaticano II. Allí el 11 de octubre era la festividad de la Maternidad de la Virgen María. (Actualmente se celebra el 1 de enero). Con este motivo era costumbre argentina pasar la celebración litúrgica al domingo anterior o siguiente al 11. Con el lento correr de los años la tradición popular fue fijando como el tercer domingo de octubre la celebración de la Madre y las madres.
^abcdeWendy S. DeBano (2009),"Singing against Silence: Celebrating Women and Music and the Fourth Jasmine Festival", in Laudan Nooshin (ed.),Music and the Play of Power in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, Soas Musicology Series (illustrated ed.),Ashgate Publishing, p. 234 (footnote 18),ISBN978-0754634577,In 2002, Fatemeh's birthday celebration (observed according to thehejri calendar) fell on Thursday 29 August (20 Jamādi 1423) (...) Fatemeh's birth date is also currently used to mark Mother's Day in Iran, ritually recollecting, emphasising and reinscribing her role as a loyal mother, wife, and daughter. Prior to the revolution, Mother's Day was used to promote the gender ideologies of the Pahlavi regime.
^أحمد بن عمرو بن أبي عاصم الضحاك النبيل الشيباني أبو بكر (1989). "6".The Book of Jihad (in Arabic). Dar Al Qalam – Damascus. p. 808.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^abAnn Taylor Allen (February 1995), "Reviewed work(s): Muttertag und Mutterkreuz: Der Kult um die "Deutsche Mutter" im Nationalsozialismus, by Irmgard Weyrather",American Historical Review,100 (1), Frankfurt A.m:186–187,doi:10.2307/2168063,JSTOR2168063
^abBulbeck, Chilla (2009).Sex, love and feminism in the Asia Pacific: a cross-cultural study of young people's attitudes. ASAA women in Asia. London New York: Routledge.ISBN978-0415470063.Preview.
^Shahla Haeri (1993)."Obedience versus Autonomy: Women and Fundamentalism in Iran and Pakistan". In Martin E. Marty; R. Scott Appleby; Helen Hardacre; Everett Mendelsohn (eds.).Fundamentalisms and Society: Reclaiming the Sciences, the Family, and Education. The Fundamentalism Project. Vol. 2 (2 ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 197.ISBN978-0226508801.The more women try to engage the fundamentalists in their own discourse, negotiating and bargaining over their rights (Islamic or otherwise), the more frequently has the Islamic regime emphasized the ideal, the Fatimah model, the quintessential obedient woman. The fundamentalist regime in Iran has yet to resolve its central dilemma regarding the role of women and male-female relationships: should women emulate a Zainab – autonomous and assertive – or a Fatimah – obedient and submissive? Given the logic of an Islamic marriage and the worldview it implies, the fundamentalist regime has shown a marked preference for the latter. Thus Woman's Day and Mother's Day in Iran are celebrated on the occasion of Fatimah's birth.
^Shahla Haeri (2009),"Women, Religion, and Political Agency in Iran", in Ali Gheissari (ed.),Contemporary Iran:Economy, Society (illustrated ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 137,ISBN978-0195378481,Such [feminist] gatherings would not have been so remarkable had they not happened against the backdrop of the regime's ceaseless effort to discourage, even harass, women activists and their supporters. Within the narrative of Islamization, the state's argument has been, all along, that such gatherings are representative of the culture of imperialism, and hence are subversive and against the public good and the moral order. Above all, the Islamic State has tried hard to co-opt women by appropriating the terminology and language: "protecting women," "respect for women," "gender complementarity." Accordingly, in order to accommodate, and yet control and channel women's movements and activities, the state commemorates the birthday of Fatemeh, the Prophet Muhammad's daughter, as a national woman's/mother's day.
^Mahdi, Ali Akbar (2003)."Iranian Women: Between Islamization and Globalization".Iran Encountering Globalization: Problems and Prospects. Ali Mohammadi. London and New York: Routledge/Curzon.ISBN978-0-415-30827-4. Archived fromthe original(DOC) on 1 September 2006.This Shia vision of family is based on a nostalgic and idealistic notion of Imam Ali's family in which Fatima Zahra (the Prophet Mohammad's daughter) dedicated herself to both her husband and Islamic cause. Other role models for women often cited by the officials and ideologues of the IRI are Khadijah, the prophet Mohammad's wife, and Zaynab, daughter of the first Shi'i (sic) Imam Ali. In fact, the IRI [Islamic Republic of Iran] replaced the universal Mother's Day with Fatima Zahar's (sic) birthday.
^Anonymous (1 April 2010),"La Festa DeLLa Mamma",Italian America (in Italian), archived fromthe original on 12 May 2013 (registration required)
^Raul Zaccari – together with Senators Bellisario, Baldini, Restagno, Piasenti, Benedetti and Zannini. Senato della Repubblica,78ª Seduta Pubblica, 18 dicembre 1958. "Istituzione de la festa della Mamma." (Annunzio di presentazione di disegni di legge)
^Светлана Моисеева (17 May 2013)."Президент поздравил кыргызстанцев с Днем матери".Вечерный Бишкек.19 мая народ Кыргызстана отмечает День матери. Эта памятная дата установлена только в прошлом году, но сразу стала для кыргызстанцев одной из любимых.
^Apollo.lv (13 May 2012)."Šodien sveicam Māmiņas!".Apollo.lv India. Archived fromthe original on 17 July 2012.Mātes dienu Latvijā sāka svinēt 1922. gadā, bet ar 1934. gadu tika noteikts, ka šī diena svinama katra maija otrajā svētdienā līdzīgi kā citās Eiropas valstīs. 1938. gadā pēc prezidenta Kārļa Ulmaņa ierosinājuma Mātes dienu sāka dēvēt par Ģimenes dienu, uzsverot mātes lielo lomu ģimenes pavarda veidošanā un uzturēšanā.
^မုဒိတာ (တောင်သာ) (5 January 2019)."ပြာသိုလပြည့် အမေများနေ့" [Mothers' day, the full moon of Pyatho.].Myanmar Digital News. Archived fromthe original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved18 May 2020.
^Балаховская, Л. Г. (1969–1978).Международный женский день 8 марта.. In Введенский, Борис (ed.)."Большая советская энциклопедия" (БСЭ) (in Russian). Москва: Советская энциклопедия. Archived fromthe original on 20 July 2012.
^Ko Shu-Ling (9 May 2011)."Sakyamuni Buddha birthday celebrated".Taipei Times.The legislature approved a proposal in 1999 to designate the birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha – which falls on the eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar – a national holiday and to celebrate the special occasion concurrently with International Mother's Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
^"Police chief returns earlier for Mother's Day".MCOT news. Thai News Agency. 10 August 2012. Archived fromthe original on 23 July 2011.(...) an audience with Her Majesty Queen Sirikit on Tuesday on the occasion of her birthday, which is also observed as National Mother's Day.
^Bernhard, Virginia (2002)."Mother's Day". In Joseph M. Hawes; Elizabeth F. Shores (eds.).The family in America: an encyclopedia (3, illustrated ed.).ABC-CLIO. p. 714.ISBN978-1576072325.
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