When is Mother’s Day 2024? Gifts & Things to Do

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Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world ‒ after all, moms are a fundamental part of every culture.

So whether you want to honor your mom, mama, mum, maminka, ema, nanay, maman, Mutter, makuahine, mamo, mẹ, or ma, we’ve got all there is to know about Mother’s Day 2024.

In this article: 📝

What’s Mother's Day 2024?

So exactly when is Mother’s Day 2024? Well, in the US, Mother’s Day 2024 will be on Sunday, May 12th.

Mother’s Day in the US is around 100 years old, dating back to 1907, when Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, held a memorial service for her mother at her old church, the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church.

On Mother’s Day each year, we celebrate the contributions, strength, and compassion of mothers all around the world ‒ grandmas, aunts, sisters, mothers-in-law, stepmoms, partners, and friends.

After all, where would we be without our mothers?

Is Mother's Day a fixed date?

No ‒ in the US, Mother’s Day is held on the second Sunday of each May. Mother’s Day 2024 will be on Sunday, May 12th.

However, for Mother’s Day UK, Mothering Sunday is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent ‒ Mother’s Day 2024 in the UK will be on Sunday, March 10th, 2024.

What is the date of Mother's Day and Father's Day in 2024?

For the US, Mother’s Day 2024 will be on Sunday, May 12th, and Father’s Day 2024 will be on Sunday, June 16th.

What day is Mother's Day each year?

Mother’s Day falls on different dates each year ‒ both for the US and UK:

• Mother’s Day 2021: Sunday 9 May 2021 (US), Sunday 14 March 2021 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2022: Sunday 8 May 2022 (US), Sunday 27 March 2022 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2023: Sunday 14 May 2023 (US), Sunday 19 March 2023 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2024: Sunday 12 May 2024 (US), Sunday 10 March 2024 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2025: Sunday 11 May 2025 (US), Sunday 30 March 2025 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2026: Sunday 10 May 2026 (US), Sunday 15 March 2026 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2027: Sunday 9 May 2027 (US), Sunday 7 March 2027 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2028: Sunday 14 May 2028 (US), Sunday 26 March 2028 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2029: Sunday 13 May 2029 (US), Sunday 11 March 2029 (UK)
• Mother’s Day 2030: Sunday 12 May 2030 (US), Sunday 31 March 2030 (UK)

Is Mother’s Day always on a Sunday?

Yes, for the majority of cultures who celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s held on a Sunday each year.

So you can enjoy a happy Mother’s Day weekend, every year!

How is the date of Mother's Day decided?

In the US the date of Mother’s Day is decided by following the same date as the original US Mother’s Day ‒ May 12, 1907.

Since, in the UK, Mother’s Day is always on a Sunday, the US followed the same idea, so to ensure Mother’s Day is always on a Sunday, it’s held every second Sunday of May.

For the UK Mothering Sunday, the date is decided by the dates of Easter, which are ‘set’ by the lunar calendar.

How many Mother’s Days are there?

There are (at the time of writing) over 30 different dates that Mother’s Day is held each year, in different cultures and different countries:

• Second Sunday of February: Norway (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, February 11, 2024).
• March 3: Georgia (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, March 3, 2024).
• March 8: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Laos, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam (next Mother’s Day is Friday, March 8, 2024 ‒ the same day as International Women’s Day).
• Fourth Sunday of Lent: Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Nigeria, United Kingdom (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, March 10, 2024).
• March 21: Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen (next Mother’s Day is Thursday, March 21, 2024 ‒ the same day as the Spring equinox).
• March 25: Slovenia (next Mother’s Day is Monday, March 25, 2024).
• April 7: Armenia (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, April 7, 2024 ‒ also known as Motherhood and Beauty Day).
• First Sunday of May: Angola, Cape Verde, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Romania, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, Spain (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 5, 2024).
• May 8: South Korea (next Mother’s Day is Wednesday, May 8, 2024 ‒ also known as Parents’ Day).
• Second Sunday of May: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bonaire, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Dem. Rep., Congo, Rep., Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Vietnam, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12, 2024).
• May 10: El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico (next Mother’s Day is Friday, May 10, 2024).
• May 15: Paraguay (next Mother’s Day is Wednesday, May 15, 2024 ‒ the same day as Día de la Patria).
• May 21: Kyrgyzstan (next Mother’s Day is Tuesday, May 21, 2024).
• May 26: Poland (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 26, 2024).
• May 27: Bolivia (next Mother’s Day is Monday, May 27, 2024).
• Last Sunday of May: Algeria, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, France, French Antilles, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Sweden, Tunisia (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 26, 2024).
• May 30: Nicaragua (next Mother’s Day is Thursday, May 30, 2024).
• June 1: Mongolia (next Mother’s Day is Saturday, June 1, 2024 ‒ the same as Children’s Day).
• Second Sunday of June: Luxembourg (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, June 16, 2024).
• June 14: Afghanistan (next Mother’s Day is Friday, June 14, 2024).
• First Monday of July: South Sudan (next Mother’s Day is Monday, July 1, 2024).
• August 12: Thailand (next Mother’s Day is Monday, August 12, 2024).
• August 15: Antwerp, Costa Rica (next Mother’s Day is Thursday, August 15, 2024).
• October 14: Belarus (next Mother’s Day is Monday, October 14, 2024).
• October 15: Malawi (next Mother’s Day is Tuesday, October 15, 2024).
• Third Sunday of October: Argentina (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, October 20, 2024, also known as Día de la Madre).
• November 3: Timor Leste (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, November 3, 2024).
• November 11: North Korea (next Mother’s Day is Monday, November 11, 2024).
• Last Sunday of November: Russia (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, November 24, 2024).
• December 8: Panama (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, December 8, 2024).
• December 22: Indonesia (next Mother’s Day is Sunday, December 22, 2024).

Why are there 2 Mother’s Days?

There are actually more than two Mother’s Days around the world, but the two that we might be more familiar with are the US and UK Mother’s Days.

There are two different dates for Mother’s Day in the US and UK because they both have different origins.

It’s not known exactly when or why Mothering Sunday in the UK first began, but it can be traced back to the Middle Ages, linked to the Christian tradition of Lent.

Mother’s Day in the US dates back to 1907 when a woman by the name of Anna Jarvis held a remembrance for her late mother at her church, the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

A few years later, in 1914, it was made a national holiday by then-President Woodrow Wilson.

Since then, it’s grown in popularity around the world and is celebrated (sometimes on different days) by different cultures across the globe.

Is Mother's Day International?

Yes, Mother’s Day is celebrated internationally ‒ in different languages, on different dates, and in different ways than the US or UK Mother’s Day.

Some international Mother’s Day celebrations are linked to pre-existing cultural holidays, like Parent’s Day or Children’s Day.

Is Mother's Day the same in every country?

No, Mother’s Day isn’t the same date or even necessarily the same celebration in every country.

There are over 30 different dates on which Mother’s Day is held, along with different ways to celebrate mamas and their contributions to families around the world.

What should I do for Mother's Day 2024?

Keen to honor your mom in an extra-special way this Mother’s Day 2024?

Here are a few ideas of how you can pamper her like the queen she is:

• Clean and tidy the house.
• Go on a walk with your mom.
• Have a home-cooked meal with your mom (cooked by you, of course!).
• Play some family games.
• Watch old home movies and look back at family photos.
• Visit a botanical garden, if the weather is nice.

🌼 After more ideas? Check out our 50 Fun Things to Do on Mother's Day 2024

How do we celebrate Mother's Day?

There are a few ways in which we traditionally celebrate Mother’s Day each year:

• Give mom a thoughtful Mother’s Day card.
• Pick some fresh, bright flowers for mom.
• Treat mom to breakfast in bed.
• Give mom a meaningful Mother’s Day gift.

🌷 Dig deeper: 80 Thoughtful First Mother's Day Gift Ideas

What does my mom want for Mother's Day?

So, what are some thoughtful Mother's Day gifts you can get your amazing mom for Mother’s Day 2024?

Here are a few of our Peanut mamas’ favorites:

• Her favorite perfume. 🌹
• Meaningful jewelry. 💍
• Gift basket of her favorite foods. 🍫
• A heartwarming or inspirational book. 📖
• A photo frame with a sweet photo of your family. 🖼️
• A DIY pottery kit. 🪴

💮 Need more gift ideas? Here are our 200+ Best Mother's Day Gifts of 2024

What color roses are for mothers?

Here’s some Mother's Day trivia for you: the traditional Mother’s Day rose color is pink.

This is because red roses are seen as romantic flowers, while pink symbolizes more familial love and appreciation.

However, roses aren’t the traditional flower for Mothering Sunday ‒ it’s the carnation on Mother’s Day.

There’s no specific color of carnation to get your mom for Mother’s Day 2024, although different colors of Mother’s Day carnations can represent different meanings:

• Light pink carnations represent gratitude ‒ making them a favorite for Mother’s Day.
• Dark pink carnations represent tenderness.
• White carnations represent purity.
• Dark red carnations represent affection.
• Light red carnations represent admiration.
• Purple carnations are usually given as an apology.
• Yellow carnations represent disappointment ‒ so perhaps these are ones to avoid for Mother’s Day 2024!

Why do we celebrate Mothers Day?

So now we know a little more about the Mother’s Day background and the history of Mothering Sunday, why do we celebrate it?

Well, we celebrate Mother’s Day because our moms deserve recognition and celebration.

That’s all there is to it!

So wishing every mama a very happy Mother’s Day 2024, from all of us at Peanut!