Mother’s Day does not fall on one worldwide date, and it does not come from one worldwide tradition. In Britain it grew from Mothering Sunday, in Mexico May 10 is fixed on the calendar, in Thailand August 12 has royal meaning, and in Ethiopia motherhood is celebrated through the multi-day feast of Antrosht.
This guide explains those differences through what families do, why the customs developed, and how modern celebrations combine local history with the familiar language of flowers, food, cards and family time.
Why Mother’s Day has different dates
Many countries use the second Sunday in May, the date associated with the United States version that became an official holiday in 1914. That pattern is common, but it is not a definition of Mother’s Day. Other countries retained an older religious calendar, chose a fixed national date, or connected the celebration to a local political, royal or seasonal event.
That difference changes the experience of the holiday. A movable Sunday encourages a family brunch or a day trip; a fixed date can become a national appointment that businesses and schools plan around. When the date is linked to Lent, a royal birthday or the end of the rainy season, the celebration carries context that a generic card cannot explain.
United Kingdom: Mothering Sunday and the mother church
In the United Kingdom, Mother’s Day is commonly called Mothering Sunday and falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Its older meaning was not originally a modern gift holiday. People were expected to return to their “mother church,” the main church of their home parish or the church where they had been baptized. Young people working away from home could use the journey as a chance to visit family.
During the twentieth century, that religious and family day absorbed the card, flower and meal customs associated with the American Mother’s Day movement. The name and date remained tied to Lent, so it moves each year with Easter rather than staying on the second Sunday of May. Families may give flowers, prepare breakfast, bake, or attend church, but the older calendar explains why a British Mothering Sunday can arrive weeks before an American Mother’s Day.
Mexico: a fixed May 10 with music and family gatherings
Mexico observes Día de las Madres on May 10 every year, regardless of the weekday. Families often make the date a substantial gathering rather than a quiet exchange between one child and one parent. Flowers, gifts, a special meal and visits are common, and restaurants can be exceptionally busy.
Music is one of the most recognizable features. Some families arrange a morning serenade with Las Mañanitas, performed by relatives, a mariachi group or another musical ensemble. The practice turns appreciation into a public family performance: the mother is not merely handed a card but welcomed with song, food and the presence of several generations. The precise form varies by household, region and budget, so it is better understood as a strong cultural pattern than a mandatory ritual.
Thailand: jasmine, respect and August 12
Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day on August 12, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, who has been honored as the mother of the nation. The date therefore joins family affection to a national and royal association. Schools and public institutions may hold ceremonies, and children commonly present mothers with white jasmine flowers or garlands.
Jasmine is meaningful because its white color and fragrance are associated with the purity and enduring nature of a mother’s love. In school settings, children may kneel or perform a formal gesture of respect when presenting the flowers. That ceremonial language is different from a purely commercial gift exchange: the action communicates gratitude, respect and filial duty as well as affection.
Ethiopia: Antrosht turns motherhood into a shared feast
Ethiopia’s Antrosht is often described as a three-day celebration of motherhood held after the rainy season, usually around October or November. Rather than centering on one mother receiving a present, the celebration brings families together for food, songs and stories. Daughters traditionally help prepare ingredients, while sons contribute butter, cheese or meat, and the household shares a large meal.
The exact timing follows seasonal conditions, not a universal Sunday rule. This makes Antrosht a useful reminder that a “Mother’s Day around the world” list should include the reason behind the date. The feast is connected to the end of the rains and the return of family activity, and its collective preparation makes care visible as work performed together.
France, Spain and other European patterns
France generally observes Fête des Mères on the last Sunday in May, moving to the first Sunday in June when it would coincide with Pentecost. Families commonly give flowers, cards, gifts and a shared meal. The date is therefore usually later than the second Sunday in May, and the exception matters when planning a cross-border greeting.
Spain and Portugal have often used the first Sunday in May, while many European countries use the second Sunday. These calendars reflect different combinations of Catholic feast days, national decisions and twentieth-century adoption of the modern Mother’s Day idea. Similar gifts do not prove identical origins. A bouquet may be familiar in both countries while the date and historical reason for the celebration remain different.
East Asia and the wider May tradition
Japan’s Haha no Hi is now normally observed on the second Sunday in May. Flowers, especially carnations, cards, gifts and a family meal are common. The Japanese celebration has also passed through earlier imperial and wartime contexts before settling into its current date, so it is not simply an unchanged American import.
In China, Mother’s Day is widely observed on the second Sunday in May, although it is not the same kind of statutory national holiday in every place. Families may give carnations, spend time together or connect the day with long-standing ideas of filial respect. In India, the modern observance is relatively recent and often combines the imported May date with local family practice, school activities and regional food.
Arab countries and spring symbolism
In Egypt and several Arab countries, Mother’s Day is commonly observed on March 21, the first day of spring. The date gives the celebration a seasonal frame: new growth, renewal and family life are brought together in one public occasion. Children may give flowers, sweets or practical gifts, and families often gather for a meal or phone relatives who live elsewhere.
Calling March 21 “the Arab Mother’s Day date” is still too broad for every country and every household. Local calendars differ, and some communities mark other women’s or family occasions as well. The useful point is that the spring equinox supplied a regional calendar anchor distinct from the May pattern.
What is shared—and what should not be generalized
Across these examples, families repeatedly use food, flowers, music, visits and school ceremonies to express gratitude. The shared emotional goal is real, but the route to it is local. Mothering Sunday emphasizes a church calendar; Mexico emphasizes a fixed date and serenade; Thailand combines royal symbolism with jasmine and formal respect; Ethiopia emphasizes seasonal gathering and a communal feast.
Modern families also adapt. Some include grandmothers, foster mothers, stepmothers, mentors or chosen family. Others avoid a public celebration because of loss, distance or complicated family relationships. A respectful guide describes the dominant custom without pretending that every mother celebrates in the same way.
For the holiday’s broader development, read the history of Mother’s Day. Then compare the everyday Mother’s Day traditions with its food customs and symbols.
Sources and further reading
The History channel overview compares Mexico, Thailand and Ethiopia. Current date patterns and the distinction between Mothering Sunday and May observances are also summarized by Interflora’s international guide and CBS News. Dates can change when a country uses a religious or official calendar, so check a local authority before planning a public event.