The History of Mother’s Day Around the World

Mother’s Day may feel like a modern greeting-card holiday, but the idea of honoring mothers is much older than the American version most people know today. Across history, cultures have set aside special days to honor motherhood, fertility, family, sacrifice, and the women who hold communities together.

Long before the modern holiday, ancient civilizations celebrated mother figures through religious festivals. In ancient Greece, people honored Rhea, the mother of the gods. In Rome, festivals honored Cybele, another powerful mother-goddess figure. These were not “Mother’s Day” in the modern sense, but they show that honoring motherhood and feminine nurturing power has deep roots. Britannica traces the modern holiday through these ancient mother-goddess festivals, later Christian customs, and eventually the American movement led by Anna Jarvis.

In Britain and parts of Europe, another important tradition developed during the Middle Ages: Mothering Sunday. This was originally a Christian observance on the fourth Sunday of Lent, when people returned to their “mother church,” meaning the main church or cathedral of their home area. The British Library notes that Mothering Sunday was also called Mid-Lent Sunday or Refreshment Sunday, a point of relief during the Lenten season. Over time, it became associated with family homecomings, flowers, cakes, and children visiting their mothers.

The American version of Mother’s Day began in the early 1900s with Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. Ann had organized women’s groups focused on friendship, health, and community care. In 1908, Anna organized what is widely recognized as the first formal Mother’s Day church service in Grafton, West Virginia. Her goal was personal and heartfelt: a day for children to express sincere love and gratitude to their own mothers. In 1914, Mother’s Day became a national holiday in the United States.

Ironically, Anna Jarvis later became one of the holiday’s strongest critics. She disliked how quickly it became commercialized by florists, candy companies, and greeting-card makers. She believed Mother’s Day should be about handwritten words, simple gestures, and genuine appreciation—not expensive gifts.

But Mother’s Day is not celebrated the same way everywhere. Some countries follow the American date of the second Sunday in May, while others connect the day to religion, springtime, International Women’s Day, royal birthdays, or local family customs. Around the world, the holiday has been shaped by each culture’s own ideas of motherhood, gratitude, family duty, and public honor.

10 Mother’s Day Traditions Around the World

1. Japan — Carnations and quiet gratitudeIn Japan, Mother’s Day is known as Haha no Hi and is usually celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Red or pink carnations are especially popular because they symbolize a mother’s love, endurance, and sweetness. Children often give flowers, handmade cards, drawings, or small gifts, and families may prepare meals or sweets as a way of saying thank you.

2. Germany — Muttertag and the flower of remembranceGermany celebrates Muttertag on the second Sunday in May. Flowers, chocolates, cards, and family visits are common. One meaningful tradition connected to carnations is the use of red carnations to honor a living mother and white carnations to remember a mother who has passed away. Germany’s Mother’s Day history also has a more complicated chapter: it became an official holiday in 1933 and was used during the Nazi era to promote state ideas about motherhood, though today it is mainly a family-centered day of appreciation.

3. Russia — March 8 and the honoring of womenRussia has an official Mother’s Day, established in 1998, but in everyday culture, International Women’s Day on March 8 often carries the emotional role that Mother’s Day has in the West. It honors mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, coworkers, and women in general. Flowers, especially spring flowers such as tulips and lilies of the valley, are common symbols, along with cards, sweets, and family gatherings.

4. South Africa — Family, flowers, and appreciationSouth Africa celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. It is not usually a public holiday, but it is widely observed with family meals, flowers, cards, phone calls, and gifts. Many families use the day to gather across generations and honor not only mothers, but also grandmothers, aunts, and maternal figures.

5. United Kingdom — Mothering SundayThe United Kingdom does not celebrate Mother’s Day on the same date as the United States. Instead, it observes Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Its roots are Christian and medieval: people returned to their “mother church,” and over time the day became connected with visiting one’s mother. Traditional foods such as simnel cake, spring flowers, and family visits remain part of the day’s identity.

6. Mexico — Día de las Madres and music for mamáIn Mexico, Día de las Madres is celebrated every year on May 10, no matter what day of the week it falls on. Music is a major part of the celebration. Families may wake mothers with songs, serenades, or the famous “Las Mañanitas.” The day often includes flowers, church services, festive meals, mariachi music, and large family gatherings.

7. Thailand — Jasmine and the Queen Mother’s birthdayThailand’s Mother’s Day is celebrated on August 12, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, who has long been honored as a national mother figure. Jasmine is the traditional flower of the day because its white color and gentle fragrance symbolize purity and a mother’s love. Schools and communities often hold ceremonies, and families may give jasmine garlands, make merit at temples, or share a special meal.

8. Ethiopia — Antrosht, a multi-day family celebrationEthiopia has a unique mother-honoring celebration known as Antrosht, traditionally held at the end of the rainy season. Families gather for a large meal, and different family members contribute ingredients. Common descriptions of the tradition say daughters bring vegetables and cheese, while sons bring meat. The celebration includes food, singing, storytelling, and honoring family lineage.

9. France — Fête des Mères and family medalsFrance celebrates Fête des Mères, usually in late May or early June, depending on the calendar. The day is often marked with flowers, cards, poems from children, handmade gifts, and family meals. Historically, France also connected motherhood with public recognition: in the 20th century, medals were awarded to some mothers of large families, reflecting an older national emphasis on family and population growth.

10. India — A modern holiday layered onto older traditionsIn India, Mother’s Day is widely celebrated on the second Sunday in May, especially in cities and through schools, social media, restaurants, and family gifting. While the modern date is influenced by the global/American version, India has much older traditions honoring mother figures, including reverence for mother goddesses and the cultural importance of the mother as a source of blessing, sacrifice, and family continuity. Today, cards, flowers, meals, phone calls, and public tributes are common.

Why the Holiday Looks Different Everywhere

The most interesting part of Mother’s Day history is that it is not one single tradition. It is a collection of traditions. In some countries, it is religious. In others, it is tied to spring, flowers, national identity, women’s rights, family meals, or public ceremonies. Some countries honor mothers on the second Sunday in May, while others use March, August, or a date tied to Lent or local history.

So the history of Mother’s Day is not just American. It is a blend of ancient goddess festivals, Christian homecomings, public health activism, peace work, women’s celebrations, family rituals, music, flowers, and handwritten love. At its heart, across cultures and centuries, the day has always carried the same message: mothers deserve to be remembered, honored, and thanked.