Mother’s Day around the World

Mother’s Day is officially celebrated in well over 140 countries around the world on differing days throughout the year.

In the United States and many other countries, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May. The other countries that celebrate Mother’s Day at this time are: Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

In the UK, Ireland and Nigeria, Mother’s Day (also know as “Mothering Sunday”) is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. As Easter Sunday is a moveable feast, Mother’s day is celebrated on a different date each year.

In Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and All Arab countries in general, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the vernal equinox and falls on March 21st.

In Norway, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in February.

In Israel, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the 30th day of Shevat and can fall anywhere from January 30th to March 1st.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May in Algeria, Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden and Tunisia. If this coincides with Pentecost day in France, then Mother’s Day is moved to the first Sunday of June instead.

In El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 10th.

In South Korea and Albania, Mother’s Day is known as Parent’s Day and combines both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. It is always celebrated on May 8th.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in May in Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain.

In Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Laos, Montenegro and Ukraine, Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 8th. Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Guyana, Italy, Macedonia, and Ukraine also observe Mother’s Day on this date, but it is observed as International Women’s Day, not specifically Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is celebrated the following fixed dates in these individual counties:

 

• March 3rd in Georgia
• March 25th in Slovenia
• April 7th in Armenia
• May 15th in Paraguay
• May 26th in Poland
• May 27th in Bolivia
• May 30th in Nicaragua
• August 12th in Thailand
• October 14th in Belarus
• December 8th in Panama
• May  1st in Iran
• December 22nd in Indonesia

Mother’s Day is celebrated on the following moveable dates in these individual countries:

 

• 2nd Sunday of June in Luxembourg
• Last Sunday of June in Kenya
• Second Monday in October in Malawi
• Third Sunday in October in Argentina
• Last Sunday of November in Russia

Mongolia is the only country to celebrate Mother’s Day twice, once as Mothers and Children’s day on the 1st of June and once as International Mother’s Day on the 8th of March.