Mother's Day All Around the World
It is not only in the UK that Mother's day is celebrated, it is a worldwide phenomena, how we celebrate the day is highly up to the individual, but for most parts a gift is usually given to the mother.
In most countries, Mother's Day is a recent observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in America. When it was adopted by other countries and cultures, it was given different meanings, associated to different events be it religious, historical or legendary, and celebrated in a different date or dates.
Some countries already had existing celebrations honouring motherhood, and their celebrations have adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, like giving flowers and other tokens of affection to your own mother.
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, Mother's Day was celebrated on June 12, 2010, on the second Saturday in June.
Australia
In Australia, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It is not a public holiday, nor is it known as a holiday.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of the month of May.
Bolivia
In Bolivia, Mother's Day is celebrated on May 27.
Brazil
In Brazil, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, Mother's Day is celebrated on March 8, as part of the International Women's Day.
Canada
Mother's Day in Canada is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
China
In recent years the Communist Party member Li Hanqiu began to advocate for the official adoption of Mother's Day in memory of Meng Mu, the mother of M?ng Zi, and formed a non-governmental organization called Chinese Mothers' Festival Promotion Society. It remains an unofficial festival, except in a small number of cities.
Czech Republic
Czech Republic celebrated Women's Day until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. After the split of the country in 1993, the Czech republic started celebrating Mother's Day and Saint Valentine's Day.
France
The law of 24 May 1950 required that the Republic pay official homage to French Mothers on the last Sunday in May as the "F?te des M?res".
Germany
The holiday is now celebrated in the second Sunday of May, in a manner similar to other nearby European countries.
Greece
Mother's Day in Greece is corresponds to the Eastern Orthodox feast day of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (2nd of February). Since the Theotokos (The Mother of God) appears prominently in this feast as the one who brought Christ to the Temple at Jerusalem, this feast is associated with mothers.
India
Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
Indonesia
Mother's day (Indonesian: Hari Ibu) is celebrated nationally on December 22.
Iran
Changed after the Iranian revolution, the reason having been theorized as trying to undercut feminist movements and promoting role models for the traditional model of family.
Israel
It is celebrated on Shevat 30, which falls anywhere between January 30 and March 1.
Italy
Mother's Day in Italy was celebrated for the first time on May 12th, 1957, in the city of Assisi, thanks to the initiative of Rev. Otello Migliosi, parish priest of the Tordibetto church. This celebration was so successful that the following year it was adopted throughout Italy, where since then it is usually celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Japan
Mother's Day in Japan was initially commemorated during the Showa period as the birthday of Empress Kojun (mother of Emperor Akihito) on 6 March. This was established in 1931 when Imperial Women's Union was organised. In 1937, the first meeting of "Praise Mothers" was held on 8 May, and in around 1949 Japanese society adapted to celebrate Mother's day on the second Sunday of May, the same as many other countries. Nowadays it is rather a marketed holiday, and people typically give flowerssuch as red carnations and roses as gifts.
Mexico
The government of ?lvaro Obreg?n imported the holiday from the US in 1922, with the newspaper Exc?lsior making a massive promotion campaign that year. Nowadays the "D?a de las Madres" is an unofficial holiday in Mexico held each year on May 10.
Nepal
"Mata Tirtha Aunshi", translated as "Mother Pilgrimage fortnight", falls in the month of Baishak dark fortnight (April). This festival falls in the time of dark moon's time which is why this called "Mata Tirtha Aunshi" derived from words: "Mata" meaning mother; "Tirtha" meaning pilgrimage.
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua the D?a de la Madre is celebrated on May 30 since the first years of the 1940s. The date was chosen by President Anastasio Somoza Garc?a because it was the birthday of Casimira Sacasa, the mother of his wife.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, Mother's Day is also celebrated on the second Sunday of May. On this day, individuals who have lost their mother pray and pay their respects to their loved ones lost. Mother's day is not only the mothers who have been gone, but alive too.
Panama
In Panama it's celebrated on December 8, the same day as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This date was suggested in 1930 by the wife of Panama's President Florencio Harmodio Arosemena, and it was passed as Law 69 in the same year.
Paraguay
In Paraguay it is celebrated in 15 May, the same day as the Dia de la Patria, which celebrates the independence of Paraguay. This is apparently to honor the role played by Juana Mar?a de Lara in the events of 14 May 1811 that led to Paraguay's independence.
Thailand
Mother's day in Thailand is celebrated on the birthday of the Queen of Thailand, Queen Sirikit (12 Aug). It started being celebrated around the 1980s as part of the campaign by the Prime Minister of Thailand Prem Tinsulanonda to promote Thailand's Royal family. Father's Day is celebrated on the King's birthday.
Romania
Previously, it was celebrated on March 8, as part of the International Women's Day. This was a leftover tradition from the days when Romania was part of the communist block. but since 2010, Mother's Day is celebrated in the first Sunday of May. Law 319/2009 also made Father's Day official in Romania, and it was passed thanks to the campaigning from the Alliance Fighting Discrimination Against Fathers (TATA).
Slovakia
Czechoslovakia celebrated only Women's Day until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. After the split of the country in 1993, Slovakia started celebrating both Women's Day and Mother's Day. The politicization of Women's Day has affected the official status of Mother's Day. Center-right parties want Mother's Day to replace Women's Day, while social-democrats want to make Women's Day official. Nowadays, both days are festive, but they are not "state holidays".
United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, there was a celebration called Mothering Sunday, which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent (3 April in 2011). Most historians believe that it originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one's mother church annually on Laetere Sunday. Mothering Sunday can fall at the earliest on 1 March (in years when Easter Day falls on 22 March) and at the latest on 4 April (when Easter Day falls on 25 April).
United States of America
The United States celebrates Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. In the 1880s and 1890s there were several attempts to establish a Mother's Day, but they didn't succeed beyond the local level. The holiday was created by Anna Jarvis Grafton, West Virginia, in 1908 as a day to honour one's mother.
Continue reading more at Starting Out London, where a list of 30 great ideas has been compiled for you, to help you find something nice for your mother on Sunday (in United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland). It is the least we can do for all those delicious Sunday roast meals they have been serving us ever since we first learned how to eat properly at a table.
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Starting out London originally began as a site for people new to London, offering tips and advice on where to go in and what to see in London at different times of the year. It quickly became a site where Londoners also sent in recommendations of their own experiences and insights into London. For more ideas on Mother's Day Ideas visit Starting Out London!