Mother’s Day: America’s Most Important Export

Mother’s Day was established 117 years ago in America by the daughter of Ann Marie Jarvis, who wanted to celebrate how much mothers sacrificed for their children.  It has been exported to over 50 nations where observance rate is similar to America’s 84%.

Since ancient times there have been festivals celebrating goddesses, such as the Phrygians festival for Cybele as the Great Mother of the Gods; the Greeks celebrate the goddess Rhea; and the tribes of India celebrate the goddess Durga.

Anna Jarvis, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health before passing away in 1905, first originated Mother’s Day on May 12, 1907 as a memorial service at her late mother’s Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia.

After a couple of years trying to promote Mother’s Day as a special day that honored mothers with good deeds and simple gestures of kindness, Anna Jarvis gained the backing of Philadelphia department store mogul John Wanamaker in 1910.  

Wanamaker as former US Postmaster General, wielded substantial political power.  He was deeply devoted to his own mother, Elizabeth, who he felt shaped his own moral and religious beliefs. 

But as a top merchandizing and marketing genius, Wanamaker understood that knew that primarily women that shopped at his store.  Wanamaker teamed up with Pittsburgh food giant H.J. Heinz to advocated for a national Mother’s Day celebration by stating: “I would rather be the accepted author of Mother’s Day than to be King of England.”

Jarvis in 1914 established the “Mother’s Day International Association” to help the celebration go global by wearing a red carnation to celebrate a living mother and a white carnation to celebrate a mother that has passed.  US President Woodrow Wilson signed a contract stating Mother’s Day would be celebrated on the second Sunday in May.  

Mother’s Day giving has grown to about 113 million cards and a gift of about $254 per person.  The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend nearly $33.5 billion on mothers in 2024.  Flowers and greeting cards are still the most popular items, but jewelry and electronics are expected to be top sellers this year. 

Examples of how other nations celebrate Mother’s Day include:

1. Peru: Visit cemeteries

Peruvians celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May.  Gifts include giving mom flowers, cards, and gifts in honor of the day, but families visit graveyards to place ballons and wreaths on the graves of aunts and grandmothers who passed away. 

2. Japan: Children celebrate mom with pictures

The Japanese Mother’s Day festivities are similar to the US, but school children since the 1950s draw pictures of their mothers that are automatically entered into art contests.

3. Australia: Give mums to mum

The Australian Mother’s Day celebrations are similar to the United States, but chrysanthemums are the gift of choice because it is giving mum a “mum.”

4. Mexico: Children stay home for mom

Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 10 in Mexico.  On Mother’s Day morning, children serenade their mons with mariachi bands singing “Las Mananitas.”

5. Thailand: Celebrate the Queen Mother 

Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day on Aug. 12, the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.  The festivities honor the nation’s symbolic mother with public fireworks displays and candle-lighting ceremonies. 

6. Haiti: Wear flowers 

Mother’s Day in Haiti is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. The celebrations include extended church services filled with prayers and songs to honor the sacrifices of mothers. Everyone wears a flower to honor their mother. 

7. United Kingdom: Give Simnel Cakes 

The English celebrate Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the weeks leading up to Easter) with similar gift giving, but the high-point is baking a light-fruit simnel cake topped with 11 balls of marzipan – said to represent the 11 good disciples of Jesus’s. 

8. Germany: Celebrate “Muttertag”

Mother’s Day in Germany falls on the second Sunday in May, unless Pentecost falls on the same day.  A popular German tradition today is to hand out Mother’s Day cards, flowers and other gifts.

9. Russia Mother’s Day is in November

Russian Mother’s Day is held on the last Sunday of November.  Besides celebrating mom and gift giving, the holiday’s purpose is “to maintain the tradition of careful attitude to the woman” and “to consolidate the foundations of the family.” 

10. Philippines: Celebrate Mother’s Day in December 

Former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1980 declared the first Monday of December as both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  But President Cory Aquino changed Mother’s Day in 1998 to the second Sunday of May and Father’s Day to the third Sunday of June. Six months later, President Joseph Estrada, changed the holiday back to December.  Filipinos celebrate mothers as the ilaw ng tahanan [the light of the home] with flowers, chocolates, and small gifts.

11. France: Napolean Celebrated Mothers of Large Families in 1806

France in 1950 officially recognized Mother’s Day be celebrated on the fourth Sunday in May Day. The celebrations are remarkably similar to the US mom getting gifts such as flowers and chocolates.  But children also volunteer to complete certain chores.