Mother's Day

Mother's Day in the United States

In the United States, Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday in May. The modern holiday goes back to Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for a day to honor mothers after the death of her own mother. President Woodrow Wilson then proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day, a national observance ever since.

In 2027 that is Sunday, May 9.

Ironically, Jarvis later turned against the holiday, as she felt it had become too commercial. Today it is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants, florists and card shops.

How Mother's Day is celebrated

Families typically give cards, flowers and gifts, serve breakfast in bed or take mom out for brunch. Carnations are a traditional Mother's Day flower: Anna Jarvis handed out white carnations, her mother's favorite flower, at the first celebrations. It isn't a federal holiday, but since it always falls on a Sunday most people are off. The British Mothering Sunday falls earlier, in March or early April.

Mother's Day is celebrated in May in many other countries too, including Canada, Australia, Germany and Italy, although the exact date is not the same everywhere.