Why Mother’s Day Date is Different Worldwide

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day takes a different date worldwide for different reasons, however, the purpose and celebration is the same. The most accepted date for Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May which at least 97 countries around the world including the United States celebrate.

The one thing that is the same about Mother’s Day worldwide is that – it honours motherhood and the contribution of mothers to the world.

There are at least 150 other countries that have set specific dates different from the United States to celebrate Mother’s Day. These dates fall between February and December.

Countries that have Mother’s Day date that’s not second Sunday of May

  • Norway
  • Georgia
  • Slovenia
  • Armenia
  • South Korea
  • Bolivia
  • Paraguay
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Benin
  • Israel
  • Poland
  • Luxembourg
  • South Sudan
  • Mongolia
  • Belarus  
  • Thailand
  • Malawi
  • Argentina
  • North Korea
  • Timor Leste
  • Panama
  • Russia
  • Indonesia
  • Nicaragua

Aside from these, many countries’ dates to honour mothers, is the same as the international date – the second Sunday of May.

Religion has also played a part in how Mother’s Day date is fixed around the world.

The United States observes Mother’s Day as a holiday but in many other countries, it is not a holiday.

For the Roman Catholics, the celebration falls every fourth Sunday of lent, therefore the date changes with the celebration of Easter. This is also when the UK observes Mother’s Day.

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Christina Ngene

Content creator focusing on finance and business with five years of experience and a foundation in forex analysis.

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