Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mums out there (Picture: Getty)
Happy Mother’s Day! We hope Mums, stepmums, nanas and other maternal figures across the country are facing a day of treats.
Why is it a different date in the US?
If you happen to be American or have a parent living somewhere other than the UK, all this Mother’s Day spectacle might have given you an ‘oh dear’ moment as you think you’ve left it too late.
But it’s ok. Mum won’t disinherit you just yet. Mother’s Day is celebrated on a different date across the pond and in other places around the world.
So, when is Mother’s Day in the US and why is it celebrated on another day?
Here’s all you need to know.
When is Mother’s Day in the UK?
In 2023, Mother’s Day is today, Sunday, March 19.
Some countries are celebrating Mother’s Day today – why not the UK?
We’ll be celebrating and remembering wonderful mums/mams and treasured loved ones again the following year on Sunday, March 10.
Only a few countries share this date, including Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Nigeria.
Why is Mother’s Day on a different date in the US?
The US date for Mother’s Day 2023 is Sunday, May 14.
In the UK, you’ll notice that the date changes significantly every year.
The UK celebrated Mother’s Day in March (Picture: Getty)
This is because over here, taking place three weeks before Easter on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
This was when Christians would visit their ‘mother church’ – and is the reason for the term Mothering Sunday.
Because the dates of Lent and Easter change each year, based on the Lunar calendar, the date of Mother’s Day changes too.
In other countries like the US, the day wasn’t based on religious tradition and is specifically referred to as Mother’s Day.
It became an official US holiday in 1914 when then-President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as a day of ‘public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’
The campaign for a national observance was started in 1908 by West Virginia activist Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for a holiday in honour of her mother, who was a community activist.
The idea was first planted by suffragist Julia Ward Howe in 1872 who suggested the holiday as a chance to unite women.
Found yourself in a panic this morning? You’re not alone.
