BLOGGING THE VIEW: How Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world

Every family has their own unique way of celebrating the head of the household on Mother’s Day, from breakfast in bed and flowers, to homemade gifts, cards, and special messages.

Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world, but not always on the same day, and not always in the same way.

Here’s a look at some of the different ways moms are commemorated.

1. United States

Date: Second Sunday in May
Mother’s Day was created in 1914 in the United States as a way Anna Jarvis found to honour her mother, activist Ann Jarvis, who died on 9 May 1905. Mothers, from biological to mother figures, are celebrated with gifts, cards, brunches and special outings.

2. Japan

Date: Second Sunday in May
Mother’s Day is known as Haha No Hi in Japan, where children usually give handmade drawings and messages – much like our South African children – with homemade meals and special treatments. Popular gifts include red or pink carnations, calligraphy art prints, jewellery boxes or kokeshi dolls.

3. Ethiopia

Date: End of the rainy season
Mother’s Day in Ethiopia takes place during Antrosht, a three-day celebration that takes place when the rainy season ends, sometime between October and November. Families come together with traditional singing, dancing and a feast that includes a hash made by the mother.

4. United Kingdom

Date: Fourth Sunday of Lent
The celebration of ‘Mothering Sunday’ in the UK started with the tradition of visiting one’s ‘mother’s church’. A traditional Mother’s Day gift would be Simnel cake – a fruit cake made with a layer of marzipan. The three different versions include a star-shaped Devizes Simnel, a flat spiced cake called Bury Simnel, and the Shrewsbury Simnel with a layer of marzipan in the centre.

5. Mexico

Date: 10 May
Mother’s Day in Mexico, known as Día de las Madres, is a big celebration where people take their mothers out for a meal in restaurants, with mariachi bands serenading them with songs such as Las Mananitas.

6. Thailand

Date: 12 August
This celebration falls on Queen Sirikit’s birthday and commemorates her as the symbolic mother of the nation. Traditionally, children present white jasmine flowers to their mothers and schools host ceremonies with children kneeling before their mothers.

Whether you’re celebrating your mother, a mother figure, or honouring a past loved one, remember that all tokens of appreciation – traditional or not – are welcomed!

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