Mother's Day Celebrations Around The World

Mother's Day have been recognized in special ways for thousands of years. It's celebrated in over 40 countries around the world! The exact date and the way this event is celebrated, however, varies from country to country since Ancient Greece. Here is a glimpse of today's Mother's Day celebrations as done worldwide. Know about the different ways in which this heartwarming occasion is celebrated in different countries of the world.

Mother's day at the United Kingdom...
Mother's Day is more popularly known as Mothering Sunday, the origins of the holiday date back to centuries when it was considered important for churchgoers to visit their home or "mother" church once a year. During Lent, the practice became quiet popular, and in a society where children were often sent off to work in other villages at a very young age, it quickly became a time for family reunions and celebrations that were fondly cherished. A special cake, might also be brought along to provide a festive touch. Later, Mothering Sunday became a day when children and domestic servants were allowed a day off to see their families. Celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Mothering Sunday remains a time to pay mothers their due rewards for all their love and encouragement with flowers, candies, cards, and other tokens of appreciation.

Mother's day at the United States of America...
It's said that Mother's Day was first suggested in the United Sates by Julia Ward Howe in 1872 as a day dedicated to peace after the Franco Prussian War. The holiday gained its popularity majorly due to the efforts of Anna M. Jarvis. Anna began a letter-writing campaign to garner support for a national Mother's Day holiday when her mother passed away in 1905, with the help of friends, Reaching out to influential leaders, including William Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Wannamaker, Anna poured out a stream of solicitations for support of the idea. She believed, mothers deserved their own special day and that it would help strengthen family bonds. She persuaded her mother's church in West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state, and flowers quickly became a lasting tradition to express love on the occasion. In 1914, Congress passed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day, "a public expression of love and reverence for the mothers of our country." President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making it an official U.S. holiday.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, and Turkey.

Mother's day Celebrations in India...
Just as in the West, Indians too take Mothers Day as a time too reflect on the importance of mothers in their life. Mother's Day is the time to say a big thank you Ma. The Hindu people celebrate for ten days in October in a festival they call Durga Puja. Durga is the name of a goddess who protects the people from evil and is also popularly known as The universal Mother.. People send cards to their mums on Mothers Day. Invitations for a meal so that she can have a days rest from the kitchen and gifting out goodies on Mothers Day is also rampant.
Mother's day Celebrations in Spain...where the holiday is more religious, people respect and remember the Virgin Mary on December 8. Children also honor their own mothers on this day.

Mother's day Celebrations in New Zealand...
In New Zealand Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. This is the same day on which US celebrates its Mothers Day. And as the idea of celebrating Mothers Day in New Zealand has come from US, the manner of celebrating Mothers Day in New Zealand is much the same as that in US. On Mothers Day people of New Zealand thank their mothers and recognize their esteemed efforts in bringing them up and caring for them. There is a big euphoria over the day and people celebrate the day by going out for picnics and dinners. Markets see a busy time as people make it a point to buy gifts for their mothers, grand mothers and friends and relatives who are mothers.

Mother's day Celebrations at Yugoslavia...
Mothers' Day is observed in December. The children sneak into their mother's bedroom and tie her up in bed. When she awakes she promises to give the children gifts that she has hidden in order to be untied.

Mother's day Celebrations in South Africa...

In South Africa, Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. People of South Africa celebrate Mother's Day in its true spirit by acknowledging the importance of mothers in their lives and thanking them profusely for all their love and care. People also gift flowers and cards to their mother as an expression of their heartfelt feeling of gratitude and affection.

Mother's day Celebrations In Japan...
Young children draw pictures called "My Mother" and enter them into an exhibit. This exhibit of pictures then travels to many different countries around the world .

Mother's day Celebrations In Canada...
Mothers Day is a the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. Just as in USA, Mothers Day in Canada is celebrated in the second Sunday in the month of May. People pay tribute to their mothers on the day and thank them for their constant support and love. In Canada, cards and flowers are the most commonly used methods of expressing love for moms. It has been commercialized to a large extent with compelling advertising strategies in the technologically advanced country of Canada.

Mother's day Celebrations In Sweden...
they sell little plastic flowers before Mother's Day. They then use the money that they make from these flowers to send the mothers with many children on vacation.
Mother's day Celebrations in Mexico...Mother's Day, or Dia de las Madres, is May 10 in Mexico. It's a hugely popular occasion celebrated throughout the country, with special events sponsored by schools, churches, cities, and civic groups. The family tradition is for sons and daughters to come to their mother's house on the eve of Mother's Day (May 9). Festive Mother's Day masses, handmade gifts, flowers, cards, and children's' school presentations are also often part of the nationwide observance.

Other countries that celebrate Mother's Day on May 10 include: Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.

Mother's day Celebrations in Ireland...
In Ireland, Mothers Day is not celebrated on same day as in US. Mothers Day celebrations in Ireland takes place on the fourth Sunday in the Christian fasting month of Lent. This corresponds to the day on which Mothers Day or Mothering Sunday is celebrated in UK, a close neighbor of Ireland. While in the US Mothers Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in the month of May. But just as in scores of other countries, people in Ireland honor their mothers on the occasion of Mothers Day for all their love and affection.

Other NationsSimilar holidays are commonplace throughout the world, including Argentina (2nd Sunday in Oct.), France (last Sunday in May), Lebanon (1st day of Spring), Norway (2nd Sunday in Feb.), South Africa (1st Sunday in May), Sweden (last Sunday in May), and Yugoslavia/Serbia (two weeks before Christmas).

The festival of Mothers Day is based on the emotions shared between mother and a child. However, the idea has been commercialized by marketers all over the world to convert the sentiments into profit. Rigorous advertising campaigns are launched days before the festival to lure people to go on a spending spree for the D day. Though this helps to promote Mothers Day and raise awareness about the day on the brighter side and lets all walk that extra line to keep the emotions and the noble idea behind the day alive and not just make it a day of formal exchange of gifts.