Mother’s Day Around the World

Mother’s Day is not just another day on the calendar. It taps into the universal language of love and gratitude towards a figure who shapes lives from the ground up. Regardless of when this holiday takes place, it’s focused on celebrating mothers.

From this post, you’ll learn:

• how Mother’s Day is celebrated in general,
• how and when Mother’s Day is celebrated in Europe,
• when Mother’s Day is in the USA and Canada and what the local customs are,
• when Australia and New Zealand celebrate Mother’s Day,
• what holidays are related to Mother’s Day,
• whom you can team up with for worldwide marketing undertakings.

Mother’s Day – even if held on different days – is universal and thus constitutes a great opportunity for business. If approached well, it can drive sales and enhance marketing by building emotional bonds with customers. On Mother’s Day, people display their love for their mums by gifting them flowers, presents, and other tokens of gratitude.

Let’s now move on to when and how people celebrate Mother’s Day 2024 in:

• Europe,
• the USA and Canada,
• Australia and New Zealand.

• Albania 🇦🇱: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Andorra 🇦🇩: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Armenia 🇦🇲: 7 April
• Austria 🇦🇹: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Belarus 🇧🇾: 14 October
• Belgium 🇧🇪:
  • City of Antwerp: 15 August
  • Rest of Belgium: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Bulgaria 🇧🇬: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Croatia 🇭🇷: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Cyprus 🇨🇾: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Czechia 🇨🇿: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Denmark 🇩🇰: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Estonia 🇪🇪: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Faroe Islands 🇫🇴: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Finland 🇫🇮: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• France 🇫🇷: 26 May (last Sunday of May)
• Georgia 🇬🇪: 3 March
• Germany 🇩🇪: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Gibraltar 🇬🇮: 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)
• Greece 🇬🇷: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Greenland 🇬🇱: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Guernsey 🇬🇬: 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)
• Hungary 🇭🇺: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Iceland 🇮🇸: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Ireland 🇮🇪: 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)
• Isle of Man 🇮🇲: 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)
• Italy 🇮🇹: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Jersey 🇯🇪: 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)
• Kazakhstan 🇰🇿: 15 September (third Sunday of September)

• Kosovo 🇽🇰: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Latvia 🇱🇻: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Liechtenstein 🇱🇮: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Lithuania 🇱🇹: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Luxembourg 🇱🇺: 9 June (second Sunday of June)
• Malta 🇲🇹: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Moldova 🇲🇩: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Monaco 🇲🇨: 26 May (last Sunday of May)
• Montenegro 🇲🇪:
  • 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
  • 29 December (second Sunday before Orthodox Christmas)
• Netherlands 🇳🇱: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• North Macedonia 🇲🇰: 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
• Norway 🇳🇴: 11 February (second Sunday of February)
• Poland 🇵🇱: 26 May
• Portugal 🇵🇹: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Romania 🇷🇴: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Russia 🇷🇺: 24 November (last Sunday of November)
• San Marino 🇸🇲: 15 March
• Serbia 🇷🇸:
  • 8 March (coinciding with International Women’s Day)
  • 29 December (second Sunday before Orthodox Christmas)
• Slovakia 🇸🇰: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Slovenia 🇸🇮: 25 March
• Spain 🇪🇸: 5 May (first Sunday of May)
• Sweden 🇸🇪: 26 May (last Sunday of May)
• Switzerland 🇨🇭: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Turkey 🇹🇷: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• Ukraine 🇺🇦: 12 May (second Sunday of May)
• United Kingdom 🇬🇧 (England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿, Northern Ireland): 10 March (fourth Sunday in Lent)

How is Mother’s Day celebrated? As can be seen, most European countries observe Mother’s Day in spring. For that reason, the most common gift that people give their mothers is flowers, which usually bloom at the beginning of this season. Warm, comfortable weather provides many opportunities to spend time with one’s mum, be it on a walk, in the cinema, or at a restaurant.

Apart from flowers, people often prepare other presents for the occasion. The more traditional ones are sweets, pastry, books, or theatre tickets. Nowadays, different businesses make their services available through gift cards and vouchers. Spa treatments, gourmet wine and food tasting, or local cruises – companies that specialise in that kind of entertainment should not disregard the importance of Mother’s Day. Recently, establishments selling vouchers on behalf of third-party businesses have been flourishing. Special deals combining two or three vouchers for Mother’s Day may be a particularly good idea.

Lastly, entrepreneurs can’t forget about marketing and advertisements. In all likelihood, a product advertised with the themes of Mother’s Day, family, and gratitude will sell better around that date than one whose advertisement ignores the occasion. What’s more, social media posts honouring mums and inviting followers to share memories or photos with their mothers are also bound to improve conversion.

Some countries included in the list may either prefer to celebrate Mother’s Day in conjunction with International Women’s Day, or use both dates to remember the nation’s mothers. As always, immerse yourself in the local market culture to know all its nuances and customs!

As opposed to countries in Europe, both the USA and Canada celebrate Mother’s Day on the same date, which is the second Sunday of May. In 2024, it falls on 12 May.

The inception of Mother’s Day in the United States is attributed to Anna Jarvis who did it in the early 20th century. Jarvis campaigned to establish a national observance, and her persistence paid off when President Woodrow Wilson officially declared Mother’s Day a national holiday in 1914. Its observance was adopted by Canada shortly after, and both nations have celebrated it annually since.

The customs of Mother’s Day typically involve expressing gratitude and love towards mothers by giving cards, flowers, and gifts. It is a day when children of all ages take the time to appreciate their mothers through heartfelt messages and tokens of affection. Many families celebrate the day by hosting or going out for brunch or dinner, making it one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants.

Mother’s Day has also become synonymous with a burst of activities in schools and churches, where children engage in hand-crafting gifts for their mothers as a meaningful gesture of their love and appreciation.

From a business perspective, Mother’s Day has evolved into a significant retail holiday, with businesses seizing the opportunity to cater to the needs of those searching for the perfect gift. The floral industry sees a substantial peak in sales, as bouquets and flower arrangements are a popular choice for honouring mothers. Additionally, the greetings card industry thrives, with Mother’s Day ranking as the third-largest card-sending holiday in the USA.

Retailers and online shops often offer Mother’s Day specials, ranging from jewellery to spa packages, home goods, and personalised gifts, incentivising customers to choose something special. Even the technology and service sectors have found a foothold in this holiday, offering electronic gadgets and services like body massage or face treatments as ideal gifts for mothers who appreciate practicality or relaxation. Mother’s Day, therefore, serves not only as a day of recognition for mothers but also as an occasion for commercial activity across various sectors of the economy.

These two countries in Oceania observe Mother’s Day on the same date as the United States and Canada – the second Sunday of May. In 2024, it falls on 12 May.

Few people know this, but the tradition of gift-giving for Mother’s Day can be traced back to Australia. A woman called Janet Heyden initiated it in the 1920s, when after World War I there were many widows in need, as well as women who had lost their sons due to the conflict.

Australia boasts an unending array of natural and man-made wonders that can be at least partially discovered on a one-day-long excursion for Mother’s Day: be it the Sydney Harbour cruise, the Gorge Wildlife Park admission, visiting the Melbourne aquarium, or hot air ballooning over Perth. As Australia lures foreigners with its charm and beauty, targeting your range of services at tourists is also a great idea (especially given that Mother’s Day there coincides with celebrations in many different countries and territories).

New Zealand’s celebrations are quite similar to those of other countries of the world. Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch have plenty of nice restaurants and bars, where mothers can be invited to dinner and relax on their special day. Mother’s Day deals and packages are as popular among New Zealanders as among other nations around the globe.

As we celebrate our mums on the various dates mentioned here, it’s interesting that there are two more observances of a similar nature: National Mother-In-Law Day and International Mother Language Day. Although differently themed and definitely less known, they share an elemental connection to the essence of Mother’s Day – honouring the maternal figures in our lives and the legacies they preserve.

National Mother-In-Law Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of October (27 October in 2024) and serves as an extension of Mother’s Day by shining a light on the mothers of our spouses. These women often play a unique role in our lives, supporting the family structure and passing wisdom and traditions from another branch of the family tree. This day encourages us to acknowledge and appreciate the extended love and guidance of our mothers-in-law, who also shape the lives of future generations through their roles. The holiday in its current form was first thought of and proposed in the 1970s in the USA.

In a broader cultural sense, International Mother Language Day, observed on 21 February, resonates with the theme of heritage and continuity often associated with mothers. This day emphasises the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity, promoting the preservation of mother tongues around the world. Languages are intimately connected to identity and heritage, much like a child’s upbringing shapes individual character and values. By celebrating and protecting this diversity, International Mother Language Day aligns with Mother’s Day in its reflection of nurturing and preserving the intrinsic parts of our identity passed down from generation to generation.

We are well aware that one might feel a bit overwhelmed with all the variety of Mother’s Day dates in different countries. Even within one month, there can be as many as four different days on which Mother’s Day is observed. As always in such cases, a trusted source is a must if you want to avoid PR and marketing blunders (like wishing British mothers all the best in May, which – although not something bad in itself – would be a telltale sign of poor cultural insight).

Luckily, as with other marketing-related holidays, we’ve got you covered and have done all the necessary research. If you’re looking for a reliable partner – who goes the extra mile with any task – look no further and contact us!

Additionally, feel free to download our Mother’s Day marketing calendar with relevant dates. You never know when it might come in handy 😊.