Peradventure you are wondering why there are often several different dates for the Mother’s day celebration in a year, then this post is for you!
Mother’s Day is an international date
Initially a US holiday, Mother’s Day has become widely popular in various countries around the world.
Mother’s Day in most countries in the Arab world is celebrated on March 21, the first day of spring.
In the Middle East, the celebration first started in Egypt in 1956, after Mustafa Amin, an Arab journalist, wrote about it in his book, A Smiling America.
However, it was not until 10 years later that a woman who visited Amin’s brother, Ali, spoke about the hardships she faced as a single mother.
The story inspired Ali to bring back his brother’s idea and he wrote about the importance of recognising mothers and their work.
“Why don’t we choose a day of the year to be ‘Mother’s Day’ where we celebrate them in our country [Egypt] and other eastern nations,” he wrote, according to local reports.
Shortly after, the idea gained popularity, and in 1956, Akhbar el-Yom newspaper’s March 9 front page acknowledged the date, indicating it would be celebrated on March 21.
United States
The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May.
It started in 1908 when Anna Jarvis, the founder of the holiday, held a memorial for her mother at St Andrews Chruch in Virginia.
Jarvis’ mother always expressed a desire for the establishment of such a date, and after her mother’s death, Jarvis started a movement for the commemoration.
It was first declared a holiday by the state of West Virginia in 1910 with other states quickly following.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognising Jarvis’ Mother’s Day as a national holiday.
Other countries, including Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Uruguay, Bhutan, Croatia, Cuba, Belgium and Canada, also celebrate on the second day if May.
China
Mother’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in China.
In China, the festivity falls on the fourth month of the lunar calendar, however, it is often celebrated in the second Sunday of May.
United Kingdom
People in the United Kingdom celebrate “Mothering Sunday” on the fourth Sunday of Lent, a religious celebration in the Christian calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends six weeks later on Holy Saturday.
The date changes every year because it is linked to Easter, and Easter varies depending on the lunar calendar.
France
The festivity is celebrated on the last Sunday of May, unless it coincides with Pentecost day in France, then it is moved to the first Sunday of June.
Japan
In Japan, Mother’s Day was commemorated during the Showd period as the birthday of Empress Hojun on March 6.
However, it was established in 1931 when the Imperial Women’s Union was
In 1949, after the first meeting of “Praise Mothers” was held, the society decided to adopt the second Sunday of May as the official date of celebration in the country.