When is Mother's Day? See the date, holiday's origins

Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·3 min read
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Whether its your own mother or the other important matriarchs in your life, there's always a reason to show them some extra love. And that reason is coming up.

Mother's Day is this month, with the annual holiday helps us honor moms or the women who have made a difference in our lives.

Here's everything you need to know about when to celebrate, as well as the holiday's roots.

What day is Mother's Day?

May 7, 2015: Melissa Gomez, 18, left, talks with her mother, Eva Gomez, on a walking trail at Eagle Lakes Park in Naples. Melissa said they walk once a week together. Eva shares a bond with her three daughters, the youngest, 18-year-old daughter, Melissa, is the last one to "leave the nest." Melissa is a journalism major at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The single mother is hard-working who always preached college to her girls. Eva works two jobs, seven days a week and says she takes one vacation a year.

Mother's Day is observed every second Sunday of May. This year, the holiday falls on Sunday, May 12.

Is Mother's Day a federal holiday?

No. Neither Mother's Day, nor Father's Day, are one of the 11 federal holidays in the U.S.

The next federal holiday will be Memorial Day on May 27.

Is Mother's Day celebrated on the same date around the world?

While some countries follow the lead of the United States in marking the day on the second Sunday in May, others have their own traditions.

Over in the United Kingdom, Mother's Day is celebrated on "Mothering Sunday," which falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In Mexico, Mother's Day, or Día de las Madres, falls on May 10 every year.

Who founded Mother's Day? See holiday's origins

According to USA Today reports, Mother's Day in the United States exists in its current form thanks to a Philadelphia woman named Anna Jarvis.

She was the daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, a West Virginia woman known for creating the Mothers’ Day Work Clubs, which provided a place for women to learn about child care strategies. During the Civil War, these clubs became a force of reconciliation as wives of both Confederate and Union soldiers came together.

Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother’s Day — to mark 100 years on May 11.
Anna Jarvis, founder of Mother’s Day — to mark 100 years on May 11.

In May 1908, Anna Jarvis held a service at her late mother's church in West Virginia, meant to honor all mothers' sacrifices. This marked the first official celebration of "Mother's Day."

In the years that followed, Jarvis helped to elevate the holiday through a letter-writing campaign that pushed other states to adopt the observance. By 1914, President Woodrow Wilson had designated it a national holiday.

It is also noted that Jarvis, in an ironic twist, spent the last year of her life campaigning to abolish the very holiday she founded, upset by the over-commercialization of the holiday. Jarvis launched lawsuits against florists, greeting card manufacturers and other industries before her death in 1948.

What can I gift my mom on Mother's Day?

Product experts at Reviewed have plenty of gift ideas for mom "for every budget and personality."

They suggest everything from pampering her with bath bombs, sending fresh flowers, gifting an Apple Watch or reminding her of how sweet she is with mini cupcakes. And who can resist a personalized photo album? Oh, and Legos aren't just for kids. There's even a set of tiny plants and flowers — no green thumb required.

Just to plan ahead: When is Father's Day 2024?

Father's Day is always celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This year, it falls on Sunday, June 16.

Contributing reporting: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Mother's Day 2024: Here's when it is and why we celebrate