Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2026 around the world

• Germany: 10 May 2026
  
  On that day mothers don’t work. The children do everything. The day starts with a beautiful breakfast. Then everyone goes out for the day. At the end of the day everyone enjoys a celebratory meal. Some people present their mothers with a gift. Overall, Mother’s Day is a lovely day. However, for many young people, Mother’s Day is just another, ordinary day. Before the day, there is a lot of advertising on television to induce people to buy presents. Mother’s Day was created so that mothers receive acknowledgement of the work that they do throughout the year. That is why they deserve a holiday. Mother’s Day, in Germany, is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday in May.” (Victoria)


• Austria: 10 May 2026


• Belgium: 10 May 2026
  
  In Belgium Mother’s Day is usually celebrated on the second Sunday in May. It became established following the United States and is modelled on the American custom, likewise in other countries including Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey and Australia. However, depending on the region in Belgium, the occasion of Mother’s Day has not always fallen on the same date. For example, in the Anvers region, Mother’s Day is celebrated on 15 August, the day of the Assumption of Mary.


• Brazil: 10 May 2026
  


• China: 10 May 2026
  


• Denmark: 3 May 2026
  


• Spain: 3 May 2026
  


• United States (USA): 10 May 2026
  
  In the United States, it was in 1872 that Julia Ward Howe introduced the idea of Mother’s Day. She organised a special celebration for this day in Boston every year. The idea was taken up again in 1907 by another American from Philadelphia, Ana Jarvis. The first celebration took place on the second Sunday in May in Grafton, West Virginia. This day was the anniversary of the death of Ana’s mother. The following year, the day was celebrated once again in Philadelphia.
  
  Ana Jarvis launched a major campaign to establish Mother’s Day throughout the country and, in 1911, this day was celebrated in nearly all the North American states. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day an official holiday to be celebrated on the second Sunday in May.


• France: 31 mai 2026
  
  In 1806, Napoleon called for the creation of an official Mother’s Day in spring. In 1897, the National Alliance introduced the idea of a children’s day to counteract depopulation. In June 1906, in Isere, the first Mother’s Day was celebrated upon the initiative of the Union Fraternelle des Pères de Famille (Fraternal Union of Family Fathers), more accurately : the first Mother’s Day was celebrated by the Union Fraternelle des Pères de Famille Méritants d'Artas (Fraternal Union of Family Fathers Deserving of Artas).
  
  On 31 December 1917, in Paris, a celebration of numerous families was organised. On 16 June 1918, in Lyon, the first "Mother’s Day" was celebrated. Following this event, the idea of a day to celebrate mothers of families was launched. According to some, the French were inspired by the Americans who, during the Great War that was taking place at the time, sent enormous amounts of post on the occasion of Mother’s Day, as it was already established in the United States.
  
  At that time, it had been considered to fix the date of the holiday on 15 August. On 9 May 1920, the minister of the interior authorised the first national holiday of mothers of large families. This high point of the celebration took place in Paris on 19 December, long after 15 August, which had been the date originally envisaged! The government then made the decision to celebrate Mother’s Day every year. The first ceremony took place on 20 April 1926. Today Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May, unless this day falls on Whitsun, in which case Mother’s Day is then moved to the first Sunday in June. It’s an official holiday.


• Greece: 10 May 2026
  


• Italy: 10 May 2026
  


• Luxemburg: 14 June 2026
  
  Au Luxembourg, la fête des mères a lieu le premier dimanche de juin.


• Morocco: 31 May 2026
  


• Norway: February 2026
  
  In Norway, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of February.


• Netherlands: 10 May 2026
  


• Portugal: 3 May 2026
  


• Romania: 8 March 2026
  


• Russia: 29 November 2026
  
  In Russia, Mother's Day is scheduled on the last sunday of Novemberla fête des mères est célèbrée le dernier dimanche de novembre.


• Sweden: 31 May 2026
  
  In Sweden, the last Sunday of May determines Mother's Day.


• Switzerland: 10 May 2026
  


• Tunisia: 31 May 2026
  


• Ukraine: 10 May 2026
  


• United Kingdom: 2026
  
  It was about the 15th or 17th century in England (depending on the source) that people started to celebrate a day called "Mothering Sunday" at the start of Lent. The date then became fixed on the fourth Sunday of spring. It was a special occasion when all the mothers who worked as domestic servants for wealthy families were able to return home to spend the day with their family, since they were given a day’s holiday in honour of this special day.


• VietNam: 10 May 2026
  
  Like the Europeans, the Vietnamese also have a Mother’s Day. It is the occasion of Vu Lan on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.