Countdown to
Mother's Day
The second Sunday that belongs to her
Today is Mother's Day.
188 days until Mother's Day, on Sunday, May 9, 2027.
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. Happens the second Sunday of May.
Mother’s Day is the day the United States sets aside to honor mothers, grandmothers, and the women who fill a maternal role. It falls on the second Sunday of May, so the exact date shifts each year while the rhythm stays the same: a spring Sunday given over to flowers, phone calls, and shared meals.
Origins
The American holiday grew from one woman’s grief. Anna Jarvis organized the first observance in 1908 at a church in Grafton, West Virginia, in memory of her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, an activist who had run “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to improve local health and sanitation before and during the Civil War. Anna campaigned for years to give the day national standing, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation naming the second Sunday of May a day to honor the country’s mothers.
Jarvis chose the singular possessive, Mother’s Day, on purpose, so that each family would honor its own mother rather than mothers in the abstract. She also picked the white carnation, her mother’s favorite flower, as its emblem. Within a decade she was appalled by how quickly florists, card companies, and confectioners had commercialized the day, and she spent the rest of her life and much of her money trying to undo what she had built.
How it’s observed
For all of Jarvis’s objections, the customs she disliked are now the ones most people recognize. Families send cards — Mother’s Day trails only Christmas and Valentine’s Day in US card sales — and give flowers, most often carnations and roses. Many mark the day with brunch or dinner out, making it one of the busiest days of the year for American restaurants, while younger children fall back on breakfast in bed and handmade gifts.
The date is not universal. Many countries celebrate on the same second Sunday of May, but others do not: the United Kingdom and Ireland keep Mothering Sunday during Lent, a separate tradition with Christian roots, and countries from Mexico to Thailand hold their own observances on fixed dates. Wherever it lands, the intent is consistent — a day set aside to thank the women who raised us.
💐 Fun facts about Mother's Day
- Anna Jarvis, who founded the holiday, later spent much of her life and money trying to abolish it, disgusted by how thoroughly it had been commercialized.
- Jarvis insisted on the singular possessive 'Mother's Day' so each family would honor its own mother rather than mothers in general.
- In the United States, Mother's Day trails only Christmas and Valentine's Day in greeting-card sales.
- The white carnation became the holiday's emblem because it was the favorite flower of Jarvis's own mother.
- Mother's Day is one of the busiest days of the year for American restaurants, consistently ranking among the most popular dates to dine out.
Upcoming Mother's Day dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 188 days | |
| 559 days | |
| 923 days | |
| 1,287 days | |
| 1,651 days |
How people mark Mother's Day
- Giving flowers, especially carnations and roses
- Sending greeting cards
- Brunch or dinner out
- Breakfast in bed
- Wearing a carnation, white for a mother who has died and colored for one still living
- Calling mothers and grandmothers
Frequently asked
What day is Mother's Day?
In the United States, Mother's Day falls on the second Sunday of May every year, so the exact date changes annually even though the day of the week stays the same.
Who started Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis held the first observance in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, in memory of her mother. President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday in 1914.
Is Mother's Day the same date everywhere?
No. Many countries celebrate on the US date, the second Sunday of May, but others differ. The United Kingdom and Ireland mark Mothering Sunday during Lent, a separate tradition with its own origins.
Why is it 'Mother's Day' and not 'Mothers' Day'?
Anna Jarvis deliberately chose the singular possessive so that each family would honor its own mother, rather than celebrating all mothers collectively.