Mother's Day Around the World

Over 140 countries around the world celebrate Mother's Day.  In the United States and many other countries, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. 

Mother's Day in Canada
In Canada, Mother's Day is the most popular festival after Christmas and Valentines Day. It too is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. People there pay tribute to their mothers and thank them for their constant support and love; cards and flowers are the most common methods of expressing love for moms.

Mother's Day in Japan
The first Mother's Day in Japan was March 6, 1931, Empress Kojun's birthday (she was the mother of Emperor Akihito). In 1949, it was decided to set the date to match that of the US and declare it a national day in Japan. They too give flowers--red carnations, symbol of purity and sweetness. They also prepare special foods: Tamagoyaki: Japanese rectangular omelette and Chawanmushi: custard egg, usually served with chicken or shrimp.

Mother's Day in Mexico
Mother's Day celebration in Mexico takes place on May 10th. The day is celebrated in churches with a special mass and the high point of the event is an orchestra which plays "las mananitas" and distribution of tamales and `atole`, the traditional early-morning meal to all local mothers.

Mother's Day in South Africa

The South African's also have the carnation as part of their celebration. People wear red or pink carnations for mothers who are living and white carnations for mothers who are deceased. Mother's Day is also taken as an opportunity to thank grandmothers and women who are like mothers.

Together we thrive,

Jacqueline

*If you missed it, check out Tuesday's post---The Origins of Mother's Day