By country (NS)[edit]
Netherlands[edit]
In the Netherlands, Mother's Day was introduced as early as 1910 by the Dutch branch of
the Salvation r!y"
[#9]
$he %oyal Dutch Society for &orticulture and 'otany, a (rou) )rotectin( the
interest of Dutch florists, wor*ed to )ro!ote the holiday+ they ho)ed to e!ulate the co!!ercial
success achieved by !erican florists"
[,0]
$hey were i!itatin( the ca!)ai(n already underway by
florists in -er!any and ustria, but they were aware that the traditions had ori(inated in the .S"
[,0]
/lorists launched a !a0or )ro!otional effort in 1912" $his included the )ublication of a boo* of
articles written by fa!ous intellectuals, radio broadcasts, news)a)ers ads, and the collaboration of
)riests and teachers who wanted to )ro!ote the celebration for their own reasons"
[,0]
In 1931 the
second Sunday of May was ado)ted as the official celebration date" In the !id41930s the
slo(an Moederdag - Bloemendag 5Mother's Day 4 /lower's Day6 was coined, and the )hrase was
)o)ular for !any years"
[,1]
In the 1930s and 1970's 8Mother's Day ca*es8 were (iven as (ifts in
hos)itals and to the Dutch 9ueen, who is *nown as the 8!other of the country8"
[,1]
:ther trade
(rou)s tried to cash in on the holiday and to (ive new !eanin( to the holiday in order to )ro!ote
their own wares as (ifts"
[,1]
%o!an ;atholic )riests co!)lained that the holiday interfered with the honorin( of the <ir(in Mary,
the divine !other, which too* )lace durin( the whole !onth of May" In 191# Mother's Day was
celebrated on , =uly in order to address these co!)laints"
[,1]
;atholic or(ani>ations and )riests tried
to ;hristiani>e the holiday, but those atte!)ts were rendered futile around the 19#0s when the
church lost influence and the holiday was co!)letely seculari>ed"
[,1]
In later years the initial resistance disa))eared, and even leftist news)a)ers sto))ed their criticis!
and endorsed Mother's Day"
[,3]
In the 19?0s, the !erican ori(in of the holiday was still not widely *nown, so fe!inist (rou)s who
o))osed the )er)etuation of (ender roles so!eti!es clai!ed that Mother's Day was invented by
Na>is and celebrated on the birthday of @lara &itler, &itler's !other"
[,7]
Nepal[edit]
In Ne)al, there is a festival eAuivalent to Mother's Day, called Mata $irtha unsi 58Mother Bil(ri!a(e
New Moon86, or Mata $irtha Bu0a 58Mother Bil(ri!a(e Corshi)86" It is celebrated accordin( to the
lunar calendar" It falls on the last day of the dar* fortni(ht in the !onth of 'aisha*h which falls in
)rilDMay 5in 1013, it occurred on 9 May6" $he dar* fortni(ht lasts for 12 days fro! the full !oon to
the new !oon" $his festival is observed to co!!e!orate and honor !others, and it is celebrated by
(ivin( (ifts to !others and re!e!berin( !others who are no !ore"
$o honor !others who have died, it is the tradition to (o on a )il(ri!a(e to the Mata $irtha )onds,
located # *! to the southwest of downtown @ath!andu" $he nearby Mata $irtha villa(e is na!ed
after these )onds" Breviously, the tradition was observed )ri!arily by the Newar co!!unity and
other )eo)le livin( in the @ath!andu <alley" Now this festival is widely celebrated across the
country"
Many tra(ic fol*lore le(ends have been created, su((estin( different reasons why this )ond beca!e
a )il(ri!a(e site" $he !ost )o)ular version says that, in ancient ti!es, the !other of a she)herd
died, and he !ade offerin(s to a nearby )ond" $here he saw the face of his !other in the water, with
her hand ta*in( the offerin(s" Since then, !any )eo)le visited the )ond, ho)in( to see their
deceased !other's face" Bil(ri!s believe that they will brin( )eace to their !other's souls by visitin(
the sacred )lace" $here are two )onds" $he lar(er one is for ritual bathin(" $he s!aller one is used
to 8loo* u)on !other's face8, and it's fenced by iron bars to )revent )eo)le fro! bathin( on it"
[,2]
$raditionally, in the @at!andu valley the South4Cestern corner is reserved for wo!en and wo!en4
related rituals, and the North4Eastern is for !en and !en4related rituals" $he worshi) )lace for Mata
$irtha unsi is located in Mata $irtha in the South4Cestern half of the valley, while the worshi) )lace
for -o*arna unsi, the eAuivalent celebration for deceased fathers, is located in -o*arna, Ne)al, in
the North4Eastern half" $his division is reflected in !any as)ects of the life in @at!andu valley"
[,#]
Mother's Day is *nown as a!a *o Mu*h &erne Din in Ne)ali, which literally !eans 8day to see
!other's face8" In Ne)al 'hasa, the festival is *nown as MF! yF @hwF Swaye(u, which can be
translated as 8to loo* u)on !other's face8"
New Zealand[edit]
In New Gealand, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May" Mother's Day is not a
)ublic holiday" $he New Gealand tradition is to (ive cards and (ifts and to serve !others brea*fast in
bed"
Nicaragua[edit]
In Nicara(ua, the Da de la Madre has been celebrated on 30 May since the early 1970s" $he date
was chosen by Bresident nastasio So!o>a -arcHa because it was the birthday of ;asi!ira
Sacasa, his wife's !other"
[1#]
Maldives[edit]
In Maldives, Mother's Day is celebrated on 13 May" $he day is celebrated in different ways" ;hildren
(ive (ifts and s)end ti!e with their !others" Dau(hters (ive their !others cards and hand!ade (ifts
and son's (ive their !others (ifts and flowers" Maldivians love to celebrate Mother's day, and they
have it s)ecially written on their calendar"
Pakistan[edit]
In Ba*istan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May" Media channels celebrate
with s)ecial shows" Individuals honor their !others by (ivin( (ifts and co!!e!orative articles"
Individuals who have lost their !others )ray and )ay their res)ects to their loved ones lost" Schools
hold s)ecial )ro(ra!s in order to ac*nowled(e the efforts of their !others"
Panama[edit]
In Bana!a, Mother's Day is celebrated on ? Dece!ber, the sa!e day as the /east of the
I!!aculate ;once)tion" $his date was su((ested in 1930 by the wife of Bana!a's
Bresident /lorencio &ar!odio rose!ena" ? Dece!ber was ado)ted as Mother's Day under Iaw
#9, which was )assed the sa!e year"
[1?]
ccordin( to another account, in 1917 the %otary ;lub of Bana!a as*ed that Mother's Day be
celebrated on 11 May" &owever, )olitician nHbal D" %Hos chan(ed the )ro)osal, so that the
celebration would be held on ? Dece!ber" &e then established Mother's Day as a national holiday
on that date"
[,,]
Palestine[edit]
Balestinians celebrate Mother's Day on 11 March, si!ilar to other rab countries
Paraguay[edit]
In Bara(uay, Mother's Day is celebrated on 12 May, the sa!e day as the Dia de la Patria, which
celebrates the inde)endence of Bara(uay"
[17]
$his date was chosen to honor the role )layed by
=uana MarHa de Iara in the events of 17 May 1?11 that led to Bara(uay's inde)endence"
[,?]
In 100?, the Bara(uayan Minister of ;ulture, 'runo 'arrios, la!ented this coincidence because, in
Bara(uay, Mother's Day is !uch !ore )o)ular than inde)endence day and the inde)endence
celebration (oes unnoticed" s a result, 'arrios as*ed that the celebration be !oved to the end of
the !onth"
[,9]
(rou) of youn( )eo)le atte!)ted to (ather 10,000 si(natures to as* the Barlia!ent
to !ove Mother's Day"
[,9]
In 100? the Comisin de festejos 5;elebration ;o!!ittee6 of the city
of sunciJn as*ed that Mother's Day be !oved to the second Sunday of May"
[?0]
Philippines[edit]
Mother's Day in the Bhili))ines is celebrated every second Sunday of May" /ili)ina !other is
called the 8li(ht of the household8 around which all activities revolve, and in accordance with /ili)ino
culture, is the ob0ect of filial )iety" ;o!!on )ractises include treatin( !others and !other4fi(ures to
!eals out, strollin( in a )ar* or sho))in( at !alls, or (ivin( !others ti!e to )a!)er the!selves"
Most fa!ilies celebrate at ho!e, with children doin( household chores that the !other routinely
handles such as )re)arin( food, or (ivin( !others s!all handcrafted to*ens such as cards"
lthou(h not a traditional /ili)ino holiday, Mother's Day and the si!ilar /ather's Day owe their
)o)ularity to !erican influence"
Poland[edit]
In Boland, 8D>ieK Mat*i8 58Mother's Day86 is celebrated on 1# May"
Portugal[edit]
In Bortu(al, the 8Dia da MLe8 58Mother's Day8, literally6 is an unofficial holiday held each year on the
first Sunday of May 5so!eti!es coincidin( with Iabour Day6"
Romania[edit]
In %o!ania, since 1010, Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May"
[?1]
Iaw 319M1009
!ade both Mother's Day and /ather's Day official holidays in %o!ania" $he !easure was )assed
than*s to ca!)ai(n efforts fro! the lliance /i(htin( Discri!ination (ainst /athers 5$$6"
[?1]
Breviously, Mother's Day was celebrated on ? March, as )art of International Co!en's Day 5a
tradition fro! the days when %o!ania was )art of the co!!unist bloc*6" Now Mother's Day and
Co!en's Day are two se)arate holidays, with Co!en's Day *ee)in( its ori(inal date of ? March"
Russia[edit]
Main article: International Women's Day
In %ussia, the Mother's Day holiday was established in 199? by law initiated by 8;o!!ittee on
Co!en, /a!ily and Nouth8 of the State Du!a" $he initiative belon(s to levtina <i*torovna )arina,
State Du!a de)uty and a !e!ber of the ;entral ;o!!ittee of the ;o!!unist Barty" Since 199?,
Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of Nove!ber"
$raditionally %ussia had celebrated International Co!en's Day and Mother's Day on ? March, an
inheritance fro! the Soviet .nion, and a )ublic holiday"
[?1]
Co!en's Day was first celebrated in 1913 and in 1917 was )roclai!ed as the 8day of stru((le8 for
wor*in( wo!en"
In 191,, de!onstrations !ar*in( International Co!en's Day in Saint Betersbur( on the last Sunday
in /ebruary 5which fell on ? March on the -re(orian calendar6 initiated the /ebruary %evolution"
/ollowin( the:ctober %evolution later that year, the 'olshevi* leOandra
@ollontai )ersuaded <ladi!ir Ienin to !a*e it an official holiday in the Soviet .nion, and it was
established, but was a wor*in( day until 19#2"
:n ? May 19#2, by the decree of the Bresidiu! of the Su)re!e Soviet, International Co!en's Day
was declared a non4wor*in( day in the Soviet .nion 8in co!!e!oration of the outstandin( !erits of
Soviet wo!en in co!!unistic construction, in the defense of their /atherland durin( the -reat
Batriotic Car, in their herois! and selflessness at the front and in the rear, and also !ar*in( the
(reat contribution of wo!en to stren(thenin( friendshi) between )eo)les, and the stru((le for
)eace" 'ut still, wo!en's day !ust be celebrated as are other holidays"8
[?3]
Samoa[edit]
In Sa!oa, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, and as a reco(nised national
holiday on the Monday followin("
Singapore[edit]
In Sin(a)ore, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May" $he day is celebrated by
individuals but not reco(ni>ed as a holiday by the (overn!ent" &owever, !any co!)anies offer
s)ecial )roducts and services for the day"
Slovakia[edit]
;>echoslova*ia celebrated only Co!en's Day until the <elvet %evolution in 19?9" fter the country
s)lit in 1993, Slova*ia started celebratin( both Co!en's Day and Mother's Day" $he )olitici>ation of
Co!en's Day has affected the official status of Mother's Day" ;enter4ri(ht )arties want Mother's Day
to re)lace Co!en's Day, and social4de!ocrats want to !a*e Co!en's Day an official holiday"
;urrently, both days are festive, but they are not 8state holidays8" In the Slova* %e)ublic, Mother's
Day is celebrated every second Sunday in May"
[11]
Spain[edit]
In S)ain, Mother's Day or DHa de la Madre is celebrated on the first Sunday of May" $he wee*s
leadin( u) to this Sunday, school children s)end a few hours a day to )re)are a (ift for their
!others, aided by their school teachers" In (eneral, !others receive (ifts by their fa!ily !e!bers P
this day is !eant to be celebrated with the whole fa!ily" It is also said to be celebrated in May, as
May is the !onth dedicated to the <ir(in Mary 5!other of =esus6 accordin( to ;atholicis!"
Sri anka[edit]
In Sri Ian*a, Mother's Day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday of May" lthou(h
relatively new to Sri Ian*a, this occasion is now beco!in( !ore )o)ular, and !ore )eo)le now
honor their !others on this day" Mother's Day is celebrated by individuals but is not yet reco(ni>ed
as a holiday on the (overn!ent calendar" &owever, the day has a co!!ercial i!)ortance with !any
co!)anies that offer s)ecial )roducts and services for the day"
Sweden[edit]
In Sweden, Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1919, by initiative of the author ;ecilia 'QQth4
&ol!ber(" It too* several decades for the day to be widely reco(ni>ed" Swedes born in the early
nineteen hundreds ty)ically did not celebrate the day because of the co!!on belief that the holiday
was invented strictly for co!!ercial )ur)oses" $his was in contrast to /ather's Day, which has been
widely celebrated in Sweden since the late 19,0s" Mother's Day in Sweden is celebrated on the last
Sunday in May" later date was chosen to allow everyone to (o outside and )ic* flowers"
Swit!erland[edit]
In Swit>erland, the 8rR(le de BentecSte8 law allows Mother's Day to be celebrated a wee* late if the
holiday falls on the sa!e day as Bentecost" &owever, in 100?, !erchants declined to !ove the date"
[?7]
By country ("Z)[edit]
"aiwan[edit]
In $aiwan, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of the !onth of May, coincidin(
with 'uddha's birthday and the traditional cere!ony of 8washin( the 'uddha8" In 1999 the
$aiwanese (overn!ent established the second Sunday of May as 'uddha's birthday, so they would
be celebrated in the sa!e day"
[?2][?#]
Since 100#,
[?,]
the $>u ;hi, the lar(est charity or(ani>ation in $aiwan, celebrates the $>u ;hi Day,
Mother's Day and 'uddha's birthday all to(ether, as )art of a unified celebration and reli(ious
observance"
[??][?9][90]
"hailand[edit]
Mother's day in $hailand is celebrated on the birthday of the 9ueen of $hailand, 9ueen Siri*it 511
u(ust6"
[91]
$he holiday was first celebrated around the 19?0s as )art of the ca!)ai(n by the Bri!e
Minister of $hailand Bre! $insulanonda to )ro!ote $hailand's %oyal fa!ily"
[91]
/ather's Day is
celebrated on the @in('s birthday"
[91]
"rinidad and "o#ago[edit]
$rinidad and $oba(o celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May"
"unisia[edit]
$unisia celebrates Mother's Day 58 TUV WXY 86 on the last Sunday of May"
"urkey[edit]
$ur*ey celebrates Mother's Day 58nneler (ZnZ8, literally 8Mother's Day86 on the second Sunday of
May"
$kraine[edit]
.*raine celebrates Mother's Day 5.*rainian[ \]^_ `ab]cd6 on the second Sunday of May" In
.*raine, Mother's Day officially beca!e a holiday only in 1999
[93]
and is celebrated since 1000" Since
then .*rainian society stru((les to transition the !ain holiday that reco(ni>es wo!an fro!
the International Co!en's Day 5a holiday e!braced in the .SS% and that re!ained as a le(acy in
.*raine after its colla)se6 to Mother's Day"
$nited %ingdom[edit]
Main article: Mothering Snday
'alloons outside, in the wee* before Motherin( Sunday 100?
$he .nited @in(do! celebrates Motherin( Sunday, which falls on the fourth Sunday of Ient 530
March in 10176" $his holiday has its roots in the church and was ori(inally unrelated to the !erican
holiday"
[2][97]
Most historians believe that Motherin( Sunday evolved fro! the 1#th4century ;hristian
)ractice of visitin( one's !other church annually on Iaetare Sunday"
[2]
s a result of this tradition,
!ost !others were reunited with their children on this day when youn( a))rentices and youn(
wo!en in service were released by their !asters for that wee*end" s a result of the influence of the
!erican Mother's Day, Motherin( Sunday transfor!ed into the tradition of showin( a))reciation to
one's !other" ;o!!erciali>ation and seculari>ationfurther eroded the conce)t, and !ost )eo)le
now see the holiday only as a day to !a*e a (ift to their !others"
[citation needed]
$he holiday is still
reco(ni>ed in the ori(inal historical sense by !any churches, with attention )aid to Mary the !other
of =esus ;hrist and the conce)t of the Mother ;hurch"
$he custo! was still )o)ular by the start of the 19th century, but with the Industrial %evolution,
traditions chan(ed and the Motherin( Day custo!s declined"
[97]
'y 1932, Motherin( Sunday was less
celebrated in Euro)e"
[citation needed]
;onstance Benswic*4S!ith wor*ed unsuccessfully to revive the
festival in the 1910sD1910s" &owever, .S Corld Car II soldiers brou(ht the .S Mother's Day
celebration to the .@,
[92]
and the holiday was !er(ed with the Motherin( Sunday traditions still
celebrated in the ;hurch of En(land"
[9#]
'y the 1920s, the celebration beca!e )o)ular a(ain in the
whole of the .@, than*s to the efforts of .@ !erchants, who saw in the festival a (reat co!!ercial
o))ortunity"
[9#]
Beo)le fro! .@ started celebratin( Mother's Day on the fourth Sunday of Ient, the
sa!e day on which Motherin( Sunday had been celebrated for centuries" So!e Motherin( Sunday
traditions were revived, such as the tradition of eatin( ca*e on that day, althou(h celebrants now
eat si!nel ca*e instead of the ca*es that were traditionally )re)ared at that ti!e"
[citation needed]
$he
traditions of the two holidays are now !iOed to(ether and celebrated on the sa!e day, althou(h
!any )eo)le are not aware that the festivities have Auite se)arate ori(ins"
[9,]
Motherin( Sunday can fall at the earliest on 1 March 5in years when Easter Day falls on 11 March6
and at the latest on 7 )ril 5when Easter Day falls on 12 )ril6"
/or !any )eo)le in the .nited @in(do!, Mother's Day is now the ti!e of year to celebrate and buy
(ifts of chocolate or flowers for their !others as a way to than* the! for all they do throu(hout the
year"
$nited States[edit]
Main article: Mother's Day !"#S#$
Brince &arry, Michelle :ba!a and=ill 'iden hel)in( children create Mother's Day cards at the Chite &ouse, 9 May
1013
&and!ade Mother's Day (ifts
$he .nited States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May" In 1?,1 =ulia Card
&owe called for wo!en to 0oin in su))ort of disar!a!ent and as*ed for 1 =une 1?,1, to be
established as a 8Mother's Day for Beace8"
[9?]
&er 1?,0 8))eal to wo!anhood throu(hout the
world8 is so!eti!es referred to as Mother's Day Brocla!ation" 'ut &owe's day was not for honorin(
!others but for or(ani>in( )acifist !others a(ainst war" In the 1??0s and 1?90s there were several
further atte!)ts to establish an !erican 8Mother's Day8, but these did not succeed beyond the
local level"
[9?]
$he current holiday was created by nna =arvis in -rafton, Cest <ir(inia in 190? as a
day to honor one's !other"
[9]
=arvis wanted to acco!)lish her !other's drea! of !a*in( a
celebration for all !others, althou(h the idea did not ta*e off until she enlisted the services of
wealthy Bhiladel)hia !erchant =ohn Cana!a*er, who celebrated it on ? May 1910 in 'ethany
$e!)le Bresbyterian ;hurch, Bhiladel)hia, B of which he was the founder" In a letter to the )astor,
she said it was, 8our first Mother's Day8"
[99]
=arvis *e)t )ro!otin( the holiday until Bresident Coodrow
Cilson !ade the day an official national holiday in 1917"
[9?]
$he holiday eventually beca!e so hi(hly
co!!erciali>ed that !any, includin( its founder, nna =arvis, considered it a 8&all!ar*
holiday,8 i#e# one with an overwhel!in( co!!ercial )ur)ose" =arvis eventually ended u) o))osin(
the holiday she had hel)ed to create"
[9][##]
$his econo!ic !oderni>ation was ins)ired by .S !odels
and was s)onsored by the state" She died in 197?, re(rettin( what had beco!e of her holiday"
[99]
In
the .nited States, Mother's Day re!ains one of the bi((est days for sales of flowers, (reetin( cards,
and the li*e+ Mother's Day is also the bi((est holiday for lon(4distance tele)hone calls"
[100]
Moreover, church(oin( is also )o)ular on Mother's Day, yieldin( the hi(hest church
attendance after ;hrist!as Eve and Easter"
[101]
Many worshi)ers celebrate the day with carnations,
colored if the !other is livin( and white if she is dead"
[101]
&ommerciali!ation[edit]
Nine years after the first official .nited States Mother's Day, co!!erciali>ation of the holiday
beca!e so ra!)ant that nna =arvis herself beca!e a !a0or o))onent of what the holiday had
beco!e and s)ent all her inheritance and the rest of her life fi(htin( what she saw as an abuse of
the celebration"
[9]
Iater co!!erciali>ation and other eO)loitations of Mother's Day infuriated =arvis and she !ade her
criticis!s eO)licitly *nown the rest of her life"
[9][101]
She critici>ed the )ractice of )urchasin( (reetin(
cards, which she saw as a si(n of bein( too la>y to write a )ersonal letter" She was arrested in 197?
for disturbin( the )eace while )rotestin( a(ainst the co!!erciali>ation of Mother's Day, and she
finally said that she re(retted havin( started it"
[101]
Mother's Day continues to be one of the !ost co!!ercially successful ."S" occasions"
It is )ossible that the holiday would have withered over ti!e without the su))ort and continuous
)ro!otion of the florist industries and other co!!ercial industries" :ther Brotestant holidays fro!
the sa!e ti!e, such as ;hildren's Day and $e!)erance Sunday, do not have the sa!e level of
)o)ularity"
[103]
Mother's Day is also )ro!inent in the Sunday co!ic stri)s in the news)a)ers of the
.nited States, eO)ressin( e!otions ran(in( fro! senti!ental to wry to caustic"
