11. May. 2008: 01:00 AM 01:00 AM

Mother's Day is a day honoring mothers, celebrated on various days in many places around the world. Mothers often receive gifts on this day. History A celebratory Mother's Day cookie cake.Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (15 March) to 18 March. The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day. In some countries the Mother's Day began not as a celebration for individual mothers but rather for Christians.[citation needed] Mothering Sunday in Ireland & Britain Main article: Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday, often called "Mothers' Day" in the United Kingdom and Ireland, has no direct connection to the American practice. It falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent (exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday). It is believed to have originated from the 16th century Christian practice of visiting one's mother church annually, which meant that most mothers would be reunited with their children on this day. Most historians believe that young apprentices and young women in servitude were released by their masters that weekend in order to visit their families.[1] As a result of secularization, it is now principally used to celebrate and give thanks for mothers, although it is still recognized in the historical sense by some churches, with attention paid to Mary the mother of Jesus as well as the traditional concept 'Mother Church'. Mother's Day in the United States Main article: Mother's Day (United States) The United States celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. In the United States, Mother's Day was loosely inspired by the British day and was imported by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War. However, it was intended as a call to unite women against war. In 1870, she wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation as a call for peace and disarmament. Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors. In parts of the United States it is customary to plant tomatoes outdoors after Mother's Day (and not before). When Jarvis died in 1907, her daughter, named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on 10 May, 1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Grafton is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. From there, the custom caught on — spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by some states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day, as a day for American citizens to show the flag in honor of those mothers whose sons had died in war (with specific reference to The Great War). Nine years after the first official Mother's Day, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become. Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States. Mother's Day in various parts of the world In most countries, Mother's Day is a new concept copied from western civilization. In many African countries, the idea of one Mother's Day has its origins in copying the British concept, although there are many festivals and events celebrating mothers within the many diverse cultures on the African continent that have been there centuries before the colonials arrived. In most of East Asia, Mother's Day is a heavily marketed and commercialized concept copied straight from Mother's Day in the USA. Mother's Day is celebrated on different days throughout the world. Examining the trends in Google searches for the term "mother's day" shows two major blips, the smaller one on the fourth Sunday in Lentit is also called ladies day and women's day, and the larger one on the second Sunday in May.[2] Note: The definition used in the following table allows "Women's day" to be treated the same as "Mother's Day". Day Second Sunday in February Norway Shevat 30 (falls anywhere between January 30 and March 1) Israel March 3 Georgia March 8 Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Laos, Montenegro, Romania, Macedonia*, Mongolia*, Russia*, Serbia, Ukraine. *In Belarus, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Guyana, Mongolia, Russia it is observed as International Women's Day, not specifically Mothers' day. In Romania it is celebrated as both Mother's Day and ladies Day. Fourth Sunday in Lent (Mothering Sunday - March 18 in 2007) Ireland, United Kingdom, Nigeria March 21 (first day of spring) Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen March 25 Slovenia April 7 Armenia Baisakh Amavasya (Mata Tirtha Aunsi) Nepal First Sunday in May Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain May 8 South Korea, Albania (Parents' Day). May 10 Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Oman Second Sunday in May see: Mother's Day (United States) Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Bulgaria, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe May 26 Poland May 27 Bolivia last Sunday in May France (except if it coincides with Pentecost day, in which case Mother's Day will be shifted to the first Sunday of June), Dominican Republic, Haiti, Sweden, Morocco, Mauritius, Algeria, Tunisia. May 30 Nicaragua June 1 Mongolia (The Mothers and Children's Day. Mongolia is the only country that celebrates Mother's day twice a year.) 2nd Sunday of June Luxembourg Last Sunday of June Kenya August 12 Thailand (the birthday of Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara) August 15 (Assumption Day) Antwerp (Belgium), Costa Rica Second Monday in October Malawi October 14 Belarus Third Sunday in October Argentina (Día de la Madre) Last Sunday of November Russia December 8 Panama 16 December, Iranian calendar: 25 Azar (Mother And Child Foundation) Iran December 22 Indonesia Mother's Day in various languages (af): Moedersdag (al): Dita e Nënës (8 Marsi) (ar) : عيد الأمّ (Eid Al-Omm) (hy) : Մայրության օր (Mayrutyan or) (ber) : tameγra n tyemmat (bg) : Ден на майката (bs) : Dan majki (ca) : Dia de la Mare (ch) : 母亲节 or 母親節 (mǔ qīn jié) (hr) : Majčin dan (cz) : Den Matek (da) : Mors dag (Dh):މަންމައިންގް ދުވަސް (nl) : Moederdag (de) : Muttertag (el) : Γιορτή της Μητέρας (es) : Día de la Madre (et) : Emadepäev (dar) : روز مادر (Ruz-e Madar) (fi) : Äitienpäivä (fo) : Mammudagur (fr) : (La) Fête des mères (he) : (he) יום האם (Yom ha-em) or יום המשפחה (Yom ha-mishpakha, Family Day) (hi) : (hi) Matru divas (hr) : Majčin dan (hu) : anyák napja (ga) : Lá na Mháithair (is) : Mæðradagur (id) : Hari Ibu (ie):lá an mháthair (it) : (La) Festa della mamma (ja) : 母の日 (Haha no Hi) (ka) : ತಾಯಂದಿರ ದಿನ (thayandira dina) (kor) : 어머니날 (Uh-muh-nee nal) (ku) : Roje dayeka (lv) : Mātes diena (lt) : Motinos diena (ms) : Hari Emak (ma) : Ammamar Dinam (mt) : Jum l-Omm (mu): Bonne fête mama (mgl) : Eejiin bayar / Eh ursiin udur (no) : Morsdag (per) : روز مادر (Rouz-e Maadar) (pl) : Dzień Matki (pt) : (O) Dia da Mãe - Brazil: Dia das Mães (ro) : Ziua mamei ("Mother's Day") (ru) : День Матери (sr) : Dan majki / Дан мајки (sk) : Deň matiek (sl) : Materinski dan (sv) : Mors dag (sh) : Liepstacoq Bua (ta) : Araw ng mga Ina/Nanay (tam) : Annaiyar Dhinam (th) : วันแม่ [wɑn mɛː] (tel) : Thalli kosamu (tr) : Anneler Günü (ua) : Свято Матері (vi) : Ngày của Mẹ (officially Ngay quoc te Nu - International Women's Day ) (cy) : Sul y Mamau