Mother's Day is a holiday honoring mothers, celebrated (on various days) in many places around the world. Mothers often receive gifts on this day.
Mother's Day is a strange time of year for mail in many countries. In 1973, the U.S. Postal Service was held up for eight days because of the amount of mail.Telephone networks are also at their busiest on Mother's Day. Mother's Day is the number one holiday for flowers purchased throughout the year
History
Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship — which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus — was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (March 15) to March 18.
In the United States, Mother's Day was originally conceived by social activist Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war. She wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation. In the British Islands, the day now simply celebrates motherhood and thanking mothers. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States.
In most countries, Mother's Day is a new concept copied from western civilization. In many African countries, Mother's Day has its origins in copying the British concept. In most of East Asia, Mother's Day is a heavily marketed and commercialized concept copied straight from Mother's Day in the USA.
Mother's Days in various parts of the world
Mothers' Day is celebrated on different days throughout the world. Examining the trends in Google searches for the term "mothers day" shows two major blips, the smaller one on the fourth Sunday in Lent, and the larger one on the second Sunday in May.[3]
second Sunday in February Norway
Shevat 30 (usually in February) Israel
March 3 Georgia
March 8 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Belarus, Ukraine. The date coincides with the International Women's Day.
fourth Sunday in Lent (Mothering Sunday) (March 26, 2006) Ireland, United Kingdom
March 21 (first day of spring) Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
April 7 Armenia
first Sunday in May Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain
May 8 South Korea, Albania (Parents' Day)
May 10 much of South America, El Salvador, India, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore
second Sunday in May Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados,Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe
Further information: Mother's Day (United States)
May 26 Poland
May 27 Bolivia
May 30 Nicaragua
last Sunday in May Sweden, Dominican Republic, Haiti
last Sunday in May France (except if it coincides with Pentecost day, in which case Mother's Day will be shifted to the first Sunday of June)
August 12 Thailand (the birthday of Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara)
August 15 (Assumption Day) Antwerp (Belgium), Costa Rica
second or third Sunday in October Argentina (Día de la Madre)
last Sunday in November Russia
December 8 Panama
December 22 Indonesia
Varies Iran (The birthday of prophet Muhammad's daughter is considered Mother's Day, which is based on the Lunar calendar and consequently shifts in relation to the Christian calendar)