Mothers day celebration Date, History traditions & Importance

About Mother’s Day

If there’s anyone in the world who truly surpasses the boundaries of love, care, sacrifice, affection, and warmth, it’s a mother. We celebrate Mother’s Day to honor and appreciate the incredible contributions and unconditional love of mothers. It is observed to acknowledge the sacrifices, and nurturing nature of mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures. It serves as a yearly reminder to show our appreciation for the support mothers provide throughout their lives. Also, in a male-dominating society, Mother’s Day emphasizes the importance of women in a family and the world as she is the only one that keeps the members bound together.

History Of Mother’s Day

Back in May 1908, Anna Jarvis resulted in the first official holiday of Mother’s Day as we celebrate today. Anna Jarvis used to nurse the injured soldiers of the American Civil War. In 1908, she organized a memorial for her mother, honoring the sacrifices she made for her. Her mother, Ann Reeves died in 1905 after which she observed the day to honor the sacrifices a mother makes for her children.

At that time, a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia witnessed the first Mother’s Day celebration. Upon the event’s success, Jarvis began the task of collecting support to celebrate Mother’s Day. She argued to honor motherhood at a national level and declare the day a national holiday in the US. Also, Ms. Jarvis remained unmarried and motherless to promote her cause.

In 1910, West Virginia became the first state in the US to declare it as a holiday. Later, several other states followed in their footsteps, and finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially announced that the second Sunday of May would be honored as International Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Significance

We don’t usually appreciate the women who enrich our lives with their boundless love and care. So, Mother's Day is a reminder to cherish and celebrate her influence, sacrifices, and nurturing nature. It holds great significance as the day recognizes the invaluable contributions of mothers to families, communities, and society. In fact, the Mother's Day celebration goes beyond the biological bonds. It includes grandmothers, mother-in-law, aunts, and other maternal figures who play pivotal roles in our upbringing and development. Mother's Day is the time to express gratitude that we often fail to show.

When And Where is Mother’s Day celebrated?

Every year, International Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday of May. This year, get ready to give your mom a special treatment on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Mother’s Day is celebrated in over 40 countries in the world, including the USA, India, Canada, New Zealand, China, Australia, Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Peru, the Philippines, Ireland, and many more.

However, several countries celebrate Mother’s Day on a different date, depending upon their traditional and cultural significance around it. For instance, Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 8th in Serbia, and in France, people observe it on the last Sunday of May. For any day and every day, she is indeed an angel on the earth!

Mother’s Day Traditions Around The World

Mothers all over the world are the same as the ways to show them affection and appreciation. The only tradition to celebrate Mother's Day is to fill it with love. People all across the globe express their gratitude towards their mothers and motherly figures with cake, Mother’s Day flowers, cards, parties, and surprises. In addition, many countries mark the day by organizing a vibrant festival that includes music, food, exhibitions, performances, and other fun activities to honor mothers.

Although still, there exist some different traditions in some countries. For instance,

People in Peru visit the cemeteries to pay regard to the mothers and grandmothers who are not with them anymore.
Children in Japan draw a picture of their mother to enter into an art contest.
Thailand organizes public fireworks displays and candle-lighting ceremonies on Aug 12, Mother’s Day also witnesses the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit known as the Queen Mother.
Haitians wear a red flower if their mother is alive, a white if she passed away recently, and a lavender if she died many years ago.
In Ethiopia , Mother’s Day is a multi-day celebration that involves people coming together to share meals and engage in singing and dancing.

Whether through special meals, heartfelt presents, kids competitions, school activities, fashion shows, or lively gatherings, Mother Day serves as a universal reminder of the priceless role mothers play in our lives and is celebrated in diverse ways around the world.

How To Celebrate Mother’s Day?

There’s no particular way to celebrate Mother’s Day. The only way to make the occasion remarkable is to do all the things your mother loves. Be it a small gesture or an extraordinary surprise, celebrating Mother Day has to be a heartfelt and joyous occasion.

Regardless, you can start your day by giving her a flower as soon as she wakes up and treat her to breakfast in bed. Of course, you can also cut a Mother Day cake at midnight with your family. After all, she’s a guide to all. Alongside, amaze her with a handmade Mother Day card or a personalized Mother Day gift that she can keep with her forever. Trust us when we say this, moms love handmade cards from their children.

Additionally, consider spending quality time with your mom on Mother Day by planning a special outing or cooking her favorite meal. Even the simplest of your heartfelt Mother Day greetings can bridge the gap and make her feel cherished.

Most importantly, the essence of Mother Day lies beyond the typical celebrations. It means to express love to our mother or mother-like figures and acknowledge their sacrifices. After all, it’s all about the sentiment behind the celebrations that matters most

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

When it comes to Mother's Day gifts, there are a lot of options to consider. Your gesture should reflect her personality, interests, and what she misses the most. If you can’t find a perfect one for your mom, here are some budget-friendly options that moms tend to love.

Mother's Day Cake and chocolates
Mother Day Flower bouquet
Personalized stuff like mug, t-shirt, photo frame, lamp, etc
Custom engraved jewelry
Luxurious spa day
Handmade Mother Day card
House plants
Accessories like bags, wallets, earrings, scarf, wrist watches, etc
Perfume
Makeup and skincare kit
Caricature

Type of MOM	Options
New mom	Skincare range or soft toys
Working mother	Wallet or perfume
Homemaker	Crockery set or candles/diffusers
Spiritual mother	Ideol figures or plants
Fitness freak mom	Gym gloves or fragrances
Mother-in-law	Home decor or jewelry
Grandmother	Sugar-free chocolates or lamp
Business owner mom	Handbag or customized key chain

If you can not decide on anything in particular for your mom, a Mother Day gift hamper is your go-to option. The best idea is to fill a decorative box with some of Mom favorite items, such as lotions, lip balms, fancy jewelry, and chocolates along with a special card. A Mother Day gift basket will include a little of everything so she can experience all she deserves. Moreover, if you want to be a little experimental, you can also take her to a comedy show, music concert, staycation, or a weekend getaway to cheer her up. This indeed will be something she never experienced before.

Fun activities for Mother Day with mom

Mother Day is the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with Mom and create lasting memories together. To do so, you can do a few things such as:

Start the day with a leisurely brunch
Cook meals or bake together
Scenic nature walk
Go for shopping together
Watch movies
Do DIY art and crafts or painting
Organize a family game night (dumb charades, Pictionary, or tambola)

Regardless of the activity, the most important aspect is to cherish the time spent together, laughing, bonding, and celebrating the wonderful woman she is. Also, do take pictures but don’t be too occupied with your phone and social media updates. Because quality time does not include a mobile phone.

Games to Play with Mom on Mother’s Day

To add an extra layer of fun and joy to your celebrations, consider playing fun Mother Day games with your mom. There are a delightful number of games that you can enjoy with your mom, mother-in-law, or grandmother to add an extra layer of fun to your day.

Scrabble
Monopoly
Ludo
Uno
Cards
Rummy
GK quest
Badminton
Frisbee

Tambola
Trivial Pursuit
Dumb Charades
Pictionary
Bingo
Blindfold
Catch n catch
Video games
Guess What/ who?

No matter which game you choose to play, the key lies in prioritizing fun, spending quality time, and celebrating your mom.

Inspiring Mothers of History

While every mother is a warrior, here are some mothers that the world recognizes as their own.

Mother Teresa - Opened schools for children and centers to treat the blind, the disabled, the old, and the dying.
Marie Curie - A single mother to two daughters and two-time Nobel prize winner.
Maharani Tarabai - The guiding force of Maratha and the first to take the fight to the Mughals.
Putlibai - A mother to four children and spiritual teacher of MK Gandhi.
Jijabai Bhonsle - founder of the Maratha Empire and mother of Chattrapati Shivaji
Rani Lakshmibai - Fought against the British army using two swords with her son tied to her back.
Sindhutai Sapkal - Commonly known as the ‘Mai or Mother of Orphans,’ she nurtured over 1500 orphan children.
Julia Ward Howe - Mother to 6 children andco-founder of the American Woman Suffrage Association.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton - A mother of 7 children who fought for women to own property, the right to vote, the right to divorce husbands without losing custody of children, to earn wages, etc
Georgina Đuka Tesla - Mother of Nikola Tesla. created devices like egg beaters in the 1800s to help women run the household smoothly.
Sojourner Truth - A poor and the first black woman to sue a white man for selling her child into slavery. Yes, she won!
Abigail Adams - A mother to five children and an advocate for women who made sure girls got the same education as boys in 1744.
Michelle Obama - Former first lady who made sure that kids get nutritious meals in school. She made sure that her two daughters got the shed of privacy they deserved.
Angelina Jolie - Highest paid actress and a mother to 6 children, out of which three are adopted. Travels across the world for charity to children.

These are a few mothers who made an impact on the world. But again, not all mothers are fortunate enough to be known by the world. While there are some, we bow down to those who face challenges being a mother every day.

How To Celebrate Mother Day Without Mom?

Celebrating Mother Day without a mom can be a disturbing experience. Whether she lives far away or is far away from you, you can still honor her memory and the love she brought into your life. For starters, you can visit her favorite places, eat the food she enjoys, engage in activities she relishes, and of course, talk over video call if you can. By doing so you can feel her presence and honor her legacy.

In addition, you can spend time with other family members who are close to her and may also be missing her. This way, you can recall all the beautiful memories you created together.

Besides, you can also honor your mom memory through acts of kindness, such as volunteering or donating to a cause that was important to her. Alternatively, consider visiting an old age home and celebrate Mother Day with them. Because if there are hundreds who want to see their parents, there are thousands who are waiting to meet their children.

Ultimately, celebrating Mother Day without mom is about finding meaningful ways to honor her spirit and keep her memory alive.

Movies to Watch With Mom On Mother Day

Choosing a movie to watch with your mom on Mother Day is a wonderful way to spend quality time together. Countless cinema stories celebrate the bond between mothers and their children. Here are a few suggestions for Mother Day movies:

MOM
The sky is pink
Bad moms
Badhaai ho!
Mother’s Day
The parent trap
Freaky Friday
Life as we know it

Little woman
The blind side
Brave
Julie and Julia
Neerja
Hindi medium
English Vinglish
Mama mia! Here we go again

The beauty and complexity of motherhood can never be conveyed. But these movies offer a variety of genres and themes so you can choose a film to watch with your mom and enjoy a cozy movie night together filled with love and laughter.

Places in India to Visit With Mom On Mother Day

This Mother’s Day, consider visiting rich places in India to create lifetime memories with your mom.India offers a plethora of enchanting destinations that are perfect for celebrating Mother Day. You can choose a destination that fits your budget and aligns with your overall preferences. Here are some options to embark on an unforgettable journey with your mom on Mother’s Day.

Munnar, Kerala
Ooty, Tamil Nadu
Pondicherry
Jaipur
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Darjeeling, West Bengal
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Shillong, Meghalaya

Goa
Coorg, Karnataka
Andaman Islands
Agra
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Kerala Backwaters
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra

Any destination you choose will certainly offer a wide range of experiences. From UT to cities and hill stations to beaches, every place is perfect to celebrate a memorable Mother Day celebration with your mom.

Pilgrimage Places in India To Visit With Mom On Mother Day

Desi moms and their love of visiting pilgrim places remain unmatched. This Mother’s Day, take your mom on a trip to a place she has never been to before. That too, to a pilgrim place. Fortunately, India has a lot of them! Here are some options that you can consider.

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Haridwar, Uttarakhand
Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Amritsar, Punjab
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir
Shirdi, Maharashtra
Golden Temple, Patna Sahib, Bihar
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Badrinath, Uttarakhand
Kedarnath, Uttarakhand
Dwarka, Gujarat
Puri, Odisha
Bodh Gaya, Bihar
Mathura-Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
Ajmer, Rajasthan
Dwarka, Delhi
Hampi, Karnataka
Sabarimala, Kerala

These pilgrimage places offer a profound spiritual experience and are ideal to visit with your mom on Mother Day. Being here will foster a sense of devotion, peace, and connection to the divine. Also, taking your mother to these places is the best way to show your love to her.

Easy Mother’s Day Dishes For Indian Moms

Another thing Indian moms love is to feed everyone with home-cooked meals. This Mother’s Day, why don’t you try to impress her with your cooking skills? Or maybe you can cook for her if you’re new to the kitchen. Regardless, here are some dishes that are easy to make and take very little time to get on the plate. NO, Maggi is not an option here!

Paneer Tikka
Vegetable pulao
Dal tadka
Palak paneer
Matar paneer
Rava idli
Stuffed parantha/ Aloo parantha

Vegetable upma
Chole (chickpea)
Vegetable biryani
Poha
Mix veg
Dosa
Chaat

These are some dishes that every desi mom loves and are sure to impress her on Mother’s Day. All of these are full of flavors and nutrients. Whatever you choose to cook, don’t forget to make it presentable. Also, a drink and dessert on the side never hurt anybody! Enjoy cooking and sharing!