Mother’s Day is Every Day
Origin of Mother’s Day
The modern observance of Mother’s Day originated in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, United States by the efforts of Ms. Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor mothers for their selfless devotion and sacrifices. Mother’s Day became a national holiday in 1914 under U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. Since then, many countries have celebrated Mother’s Day as a holiday annually, and as a fundamental practice, every day.
Mother’s Day Around Our World
United States
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. In 2024, Mother’s Day will be on May 12th.
Many Americans call their mothers, “Mom.” (English) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Australia
Same as the United States, Canada and Japan, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in Australia.
Many Aussies call their mothers, “Mum.” (English) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Bangladesh
Same as the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May in Bangladesh.
Many Bangladeshis call their mothers, “Mā. [মা] (Bengali/Bangla) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Canada
Same as the United States, Australia and Japan, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in Canada.
Many Canadians call their mothers “Mom.” (English) #TopTenSpokenWorld
China
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, however it is not widely recognized in China.
Many Chinese call their mothers, “Māmā.” [妈妈] (Mandarin) #TopTenSpokenWorld
France
Mother’s Day, La Fête des Mères, is celebrated on the last Sunday of May in France.
Many French call their mothers, “Maman.” (French) #TopTenSpokenWorld
India
While not a traditional holiday, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year.
Many Indians call their mothers, “Maan.” [माँ] (Hindi) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Israel
Same as Vietnam, Mother’s Day is celebrated on International Women’s Day, March 8th, in Israel.
Many Israelis call their mothers, “Ima.” [אִמָּא] (Hebrew)
Italy
Same as the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan, Mother’s Day, La Festa della Mamma, is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year in Italy.
Many Italians call their mothers “Mamma.” (Italian) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Japan
Same as the United States, Canada and Australia, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in Japan.
Many Japanese call their mothers, “Okāsan” [お母さん] or “Haha.” [母] (Japanese)
Mexico
Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 10th every year in Mexico.
Many Mexicans call their mothers, “Mamá.” (Spanish) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Pakistan
Same as the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in Japan.
Many Pakistani's call their mothers, “Maa.” [ماں](Urdu) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Palestine
Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 21st, the same day as the Spring Equinox.
Many Palestinians call their mothers, “'Um.” [أم] (Arabic) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Portuguese
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of May in Portugal.
Many Portuguese call their mothers, “Mãe.” (Portuguese) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Tanzania
Mother’s Day is not widely celebrated in Tanzania, but is observed by some in urban areas influenced by Western traditions.
Many Tanzanians call their mothers, “Mama.” (Swahili) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Philippines
Same as the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May in the Philippines.
Many Filipinos call their mothers, “Nanay.” (Tagalog) #TopTenSpokenUSA
Russia
Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday of November each year in Russia. In 2024, Mother’s Day will be on November 24th.
Many Russians call their mothers, “Mama” [мама](Russian) #TopTenSpokenWorld
United Kingdom
Mother’s Day, also known as “Mothering Sunday,” is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In 2024, Mother’s Day was celebrated on March 10th.
Many British call their mothers, “Mum.” (English) #TopTenSpokenWorld
Poland
Mother’s Day, Dzień Matki, is celebrated on May 26th in Poland.
Many Polish call their mothers “Mama.” (Polish) #TopTenSpokenUSA
South Korea
Instead of Mother’s Day, South Koreans celebrate “Parents Day” on May 8th every year in South Korea.
Many South Koreans call their mothers, “Eomma.” [Umma][엄마] (Korean) #TopTenSpokenUSA
Vietnam
Same as Israel, Mother’s Day, Ngày của Mẹ, is celebrated on March 8th each year, the same day as International Women’s Day in Vietnam.
Many Vietnamese call their mothers, “Mẹ.” (Vietnamese) #TopTenSpokenUSA
Ideas to Honor Our Mothers
We queried ChatGPT about policies that best support mothers and families… a few areas to pay attention to in your village:
Maternal, Paternal and Child Healthcare Access and Quality
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Childcare Support
Gender Equality
Education Opportunities
Work-Life Balance
Or, find and support a direct mutual aid initiative in your village, such as Serena Williams and Alex Ohanian’s support of a birth fund to pay the costs for midwifery care for families with Ms. Elaine Welteroth.
Or, in our own homes, perhaps for each birthday, we can center our mothers and fathers in our celebrations, because, in reality, in many cases, they did the hard work that day, and each day there after…
Related Say ¿Qué? Designs: Top Spoken Languages
Mom (World)
From our first words to our first loves, Mom, Mum, ‘Um, Mamma, Nanay will always be special. Our Say ¿Qué? designs celebrate Moms in top languages spoken around the world.
English <♡> Mandarin <♡> Hindi <♡> Spanish <♡> French <♡> Arabic <♡> Bengali <♡> Portuguese <♡> Russian <♡> Urdu <♡> Swahili
#TopTenSpokenWorld
More translations of “MOM” based on top languages spoken in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea and Japan are displayed below.
Thank you [Xièxiè (谢谢), Dhanyavaad (धन्यवाद), Gracias, Merci, Shkran lak (شكرًا لك), Dhan'yabāda (ধন্যবাদ), Obrigado, Spasibo (Спасибо), Shukriya (شکریہ), Asante) for reading! #OurWorldOurHeart #VillageValues
Send us a note at connect@villagevalues.org or on our form and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
