Mother's Day

Mother's Day is officially celebrated in well over 140 countries around the world on differing days throughout the year.

In the United States and many other countries, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. The other countries that celebrate Mother's Day at this time are: Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

In the UK, Ireland and Nigeria, Mother's Day (also know as "Mothering Sunday") is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. As Easter Sunday is a moveable feast, Mother's day is celebrated on a different date each year.

In Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and All Arab countries in general, Mother's Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox and falls on March 21st.

In Norway, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in February.

In Israel, Mother's Day is celebrated on the 30th day of Shevat and can fall anywhere from January 30th to March 1st.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May in Algeria, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden and Tunisia. If this coincides with Pentecost day in France, then Mother's Day is moved to the first Sunday of June instead.

In El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10th.

In South Korea and Albania, Mother's Day is known as Parent's Day and combines both Mother's Day and Father's Day. It is always celebrated on May 8th.

Mother's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in May in Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain.

In Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Laos, Montenegro and Ukraine, Mother's Day is celebrated on March 8th. Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Guyana, Italy, Macedonia, and Ukraine also observe Mother's Day on this date, but it is observed as International Women's Day, not specifically Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is celebrated the following fixed dates in these individual counties:

• March 3rd in Georgia
• March 25th in Slovenia
• April 7th in Armenia
• May 15th in Paraguay
• May 26th in Poland
• May 27th in Bolivia
• May 30th in Nicaragua
• August 12th in Thailand
• October 14th in Belarus
• December 8th in Panama
• December 16th in Iran
• December 22nd in Indonesia

Mother's Day is celebrated on the following moveable dates in these individual countries:

• 2nd Sunday of June in Luxembourg
• Last Sunday of June in Kenya
• Second Monday in October in Malawi
• Third Sunday in October in Argentina
• Last Sunday of November in Russia

Mongolia is the only country to celebrate Mother's Day twice, once as Mothers and Children's day on the 1st of June and once as International Mother's Day on the 8th of March.

From a mom:

I am a mom of four adult children. In their younger years, the BEST gifts I received were the sticky, glued together, painted on, Crayola masterpieces! Anything at all that they made, I LOVED and I have kept to this day. Now, the best thing for me to receive is just good old-fashioned TIME together. The perfect Mother's Day to me would be my kids coming over, playing some board games together, laughing and catching up and reminiscing about the past!

Ideas for homemade gifts are:

• How about a huge, fantastic card your mother will want to keep forever? You don't need to be an artist. Start off with what you'd like to say and then decorate the whole thing with glitter and tiny silk flowers and delicate little ribbons and bows. Leave it where she can't fail to see it when she gets up in the morning.
• Find a sheet of paper and write a letter telling her just how much you love and appreciate her. Mention a few treasured memories. She'll want to keep this forever with or without glitter.
• If you crochet or knit, make her an afghan or something else that is special.
• If you are a woodworker, make her something that goes with her special interests. A special planter is a great idea, and fill it with her favorite flowers so she can enjoy it all summer.
• If you sew, the possibilities are endless. You could make your mom a new dress, something for her home, etc.
• If you remember something you made your mom in school, make something similar for her. It will bring back memories that she will cherish.
• Cook her favorite dinner (and don't forget to clean up afterwards). Be sure the whole family is there!

Above all, spend time with your mom on Mother's Day. It's something she will cherish forever.

The United Kingdom celebrates "Mothering Sunday" on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

A bit of history:

Mothering Sunday dates back centuries to a time when it was considered important for churchgoers to visit their home or "mother" church once a year. In a land where children were often sent off to other villages to work at young ages, it became a time for celebrations and family reunions. Mothering Sunday became a day when children and domestic servants were given a day off to visit their families.

Celebrating Mothering Sunday

Today, Mothering Sunday is a day to recognize mothers for all their love and support with fresh flowers, sweets, cards, and other tokens of appreciation.