Mother’s Day traditions vary around the world – see how other families celebrate

It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day in America without the classic traditions Americans are most familiar with. It can be a large bouquet of roses or carnations, a handmade card, a special outing, or a compliment to a mother near or far.

When Anna Jarvis first started the holiday in honor of her mother in 1907, the day’s events reportedly took place at a Methodist church in West Virginia and white carnations were handed out to those in attendance. President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May his national holiday in 1914.

Jarvis passionately advocated dedicating the day to his mother, but famously regretted that it had become commercialized. Since then, the holiday has become even more commercialized, with consumers spending a record $33.5 billion.

Over the years, other countries have also adopted Mother’s Day, each offering their own unique interpretation. Perhaps some are closer to the celebration Jarvis envisioned. Some countries celebrate it on different days, while others celebrate it in May. Mexico celebrates it on May 10th, Thailand celebrates it on August 12th, Peru celebrates it on the second Sunday in May, France usually celebrates it on the last Sunday of May, Britain celebrates it on the last Sunday of Lent, but it is celebrated every year. it’s different.

Everything from a mariachi serenade to a visit to a local church to a traditional meal honoring the patriarch is on offer. No matter what your celebration looks like, the goal is the same: to share gratitude for the women who are at the heart of our families.

Here are some of the Mother’s Day traditions from around the world.

Mexico

The Día de las Madres festival is celebrated on May 10th every year, and the festivities don’t disappoint. Mexicans basically have a day off, and if the day off is on a weekday, they can stay home and spend the day with their mother.

“Mothers are very important here,” Lola Barba, a mother of two who grew up in Mexico City, told CBS News. “Here, the country stops for her Mother’s Day.”

During the week leading up to Mother’s Day, elementary schools hold festivals including dancing, drama, and singing. Baba said mothers should check out and enjoy the treats. On this day, families usually gather together and eat a hearty meal of traditional fare such as mole, posole, and enchiladas, while others take their mothers to local restaurants. But nothing beats the tradition of hiring a mariachi band or trio to serenade mothers. Sometimes early enough in the morning to wake up the mother!

Mother’s Day in Mexico began exactly over a century ago, around the same time as the U.S. holiday. Mexico then built a monument to her mother called “Monumento a la Madre”.

Although Barba is now based in Los Angeles, she still tends to celebrate Mother’s Day on the 10th. “We usually celebrate on the same day, but sometimes we celebrate twice!” she said.

Peru

Peruvians celebrate Mother’s Day, known as “Feliz día Mama,” by gathering together as a family at a restaurant or at a relative’s home.

“In my family, we usually gather at someone’s house around lunchtime and spend the next few hours together, enjoying each other’s company and strengthening our family bond,” says Laura, a mother from Lima, Peru. Gonzalez, 77, told CBS News.

Gonzalez said families have also been known to gather at cemeteries to pay their respects to deceased mothers, aunts and grandmothers, especially those who lived outside the capital, Lima. Many people bring food, drinks, and flowers to place on the grave. Street vendors have noticed this and are now selling flowers, balloons and signs outside the cemetery. Although it may seem like a somber tradition, it is actually considered a joyful celebration among Peruvian families.

Gonzalez said that in the past, it was common for children to wear red roses if their mother was alive, and white roses if her mother was dead. Although this tradition has faded over time, red roses are still one of the most popular flowers for mothers.

England

In the UK, Mother’s Day has another name: Mothering Sunday, which honors mothers as well as their connection to the Church. In the Middle Ages, people who moved far away would return every year on the fourth Sunday of Lent to visit their “mother” church. Usually people were baptized there. This was an opportunity to reconnect after being apart for so long. Mothering Sunday is still celebrated on the last Sunday of Lent, but the date changes each year.

Susan Morgan, a 65-year-old mother of three from Suffolk, England, said the connection between the holiday and religion was less clear these days. She recalls visiting her family for afternoon tea when she was young and she brought flowers and a handmade card.

“For me, it felt like a little bit religious and an important day to go with my mom to honor my mom and my mom’s mom,” Morgan told CBS News.

Thailand

In Thailand, Mother’s Day is a public holiday that the whole country participates in, and the people are given a day off. The holiday was originally celebrated on April 15th, but was moved to August 12th in 1976 to coincide with the birthday of Queen Sirikit, a member of the Thai royal family.

Now that you have double the reason to celebrate, it’s going to be a blast. By the 12th, buildings across the country will be decorated with portraits of the Queen, along with colorful flags, flowers and lights. Fireworks are seen lighting up the sky during the annual Queen’s Ceremony in Thailand’s capital Bangkok.

Children offer white jasmine flowers to their mothers. This flower becomes popular during and around the holiday season. “This day is more than just a holiday, it’s a day to reflect on how much we appreciate and appreciate our mothers and motherhood,” said Ploy Kunnithorn, who lived in Thailand for 22 years and now lives in Boston. Told.

Last year, the U.S. Embassy in Thailand extended warm wishes to the Queen and all Thai mothers.

France

The details of the celebration vary from family to family, but in France it is common to give the mother a small present or a bouquet of flowers, such as the famous lily of the valley.

Mother’s Day is usually celebrated on the last Sunday of May.

Spending quality time with loved ones is also an important part of how French people celebrate the day, says Anne-Sophie Berman, a French mother of two who lives in the town of Novarez. he told CBS News.

Bellemin said her husband has been going here historically. Le Marche, market, Mother’s Day morning, buy a colorful bouquet full of roses, daisies and other flowers. “It was a tradition for my children to give me a bouquet of flowers that her husband bought,” she says.