The time of year during which Britons decide to fend off the chilly weather by looking to the season ahead has arrived. For most, spring brings the celebration of Mother’s Day - a day to celebrate mothers and mother figures. The promise of it always falling on a Sunday means it can for be enjoyed by many. However, it takes place on a different date each year, and at varying times across the globe - and keeping track of that can be tricky.
To ensure you prepare for the day ahead of time, here’s everything you need to know about Mother’s Day 2025 and how it’s celebrated worldwide. Mothering Sunday falls on different dates in different countries annually, unlike Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Halloween. This year, the UK will celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 30. The UK date of this celebration is rooted in the Christian observance of Lent, with Mothering Sunday taking place on the fourth Sunday, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday.
This observance originated in the Middle Ages when children who had left home to work in domestic service were allowed to return to their family’s church, known as the “mother church”. The journey home morphed into a spring occasion for families to reunite, which eventually adopted the custom of children picking flowers on the way home as a gift to their mothers. The date also became a day to celebrate, as Lent’s fasting rules were relaxed. It earned various names, including Refreshment Sunday, Simnel Sunday — after the traditional Simnel cakes baked for the occasion — and Pudding Pie Sunday.
Mother’s Day, as we know it today, began in America in 1907. Anna Jarvis, the daughter of a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers during the American Civil War, campaigned for a day to honour the vital role of mothers. She chose to observe the second Sunday in May, marking the date she held a memorial service for her late mother. The idea quickly gained momentum, and by 1911, every US state had adopted the holiday. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared Mother’s Day a national holiday to be celebrated each May.
Ironically, despite founding the holiday, Anna Jarvis later became a vocal critic of its increasing commercialisation, even campaigning against the tradition she had established. Over time, this celebration came to the UK, where Mothering Sunday became widely known as Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has become increasingly secular and commercialised, evolving into a global celebration. In some countries, the day originally had religious significance, though much of this meaning has diminished Elsewhere, the date is tied to seasonal events or particular times of the year.
For example, Nigeria observes Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent, aligning with the UK and Ireland’s traditions. However, most countries worldwide, including the United States, celebrate on the second Sunday of May. This year, that date falls on May 11. Other nations, such as Russia, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, honour mothers on March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day. In France, Mother’s Day is typically celebrated on the last Sunday of May. However, if it coincides with Pentecost, the celebration is moved to the first Sunday of June.
