Mother's Day

Mother's Day is an annual observance honoring mothers and maternal figures. Its date and customs vary among countries.

Anna Jarvis: An American activist who campaigned to establish a national Mother's Day after her mother's death. Her campaign made the modern United States observance a national holiday.
Mother's Day (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom's observance of mothers, held on the fourth Sunday of Lent and commonly called Mothering Sunday. Its date follows the Christian calendar rather than the American May schedule.
Gift economy: A system of exchange in which gifts create or express social relationships and obligations. Cards and presents make affection visible, while also creating expectations around the holiday.
United States federal holidays: Public holidays recognized by the United States federal government for official observance. The 1914 proclamation gave the United States version formal national recognition, though it is not a federal holiday.
Ann Reeves Jarvis: An American organizer who founded Mothers' Day Work Clubs to improve public health and care for wounded soldiers. Her community work inspired her daughter Anna's campaign for Mother's Day.
Mother's Day (Mexico): Mexico's Mother's Day, observed annually on May 10. Its fixed date contrasts with countries that celebrate on a Sunday.
Greeting card: An illustrated card sent to express a personal message for an occasion or celebration. The commercial greeting-card tradition became a prominent way to mark the day.
Commercialization: The process of organizing an activity or custom around commercial exchange and profit. Anna Jarvis later condemned the commercial practices that grew around her observance.
Mothering Sunday: A Christian observance, traditionally held on the fourth Sunday of Lent, that became associated with family visits and mothers. This older British observance has a different religious origin and calendar date.
Mother's Day (Thailand): Thailand's Mother's Day, observed on August 12, the birthday of Queen Sirikit. The observance connects honoring mothers with the queen's birthday.

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