Mothers day celebration
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Mother’s Day Traditions Around the World

Mother’s Day Traditions are celebrated in more than fifty countries around the world. Many countries like the UK and Ireland follow an ancient tradition to mark this occasion on Mothering Sunday (It is the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent). we celebrate this day on the second Sunday of May. Although the significance of Mother’s Day is the same for all countries, they have their unique ways of celebrating and honoring the love, compassion, and courage of women. 

This day is commonly celebrated by giving gifts and flowers to our mom, taking them out to a restaurant for a fancy lunch and dinner, or cooking mom’s favorite meal at home. But many communities worldwide have different traditions to honor their mother. So, without any delay, let’s find out those traditions that set these countries apart from the rest of the world. 

Mother’s Day Traditions in Ethiopia

Daughter Hugging Mom with Flower Bouquet

Ethiopia celebrates Mother’s Day for three days starting from the second Sunday of May. On these three days, people visit their family members to collect and enjoy traditional Ethiopian dishes in large numbers. Mother’s Day is also known as the Antrosht festival in Ethiopia. It is the perfect season for celebration as Ethiopia observes heavy rainfall in June. So, it is the perfect weather for visiting family members and enjoying large meals.

‘Hash’ and Ethiopian punch are the most common recipes people enjoy during this festival. Hash is a meat dish made by combining lamb or bull with vegetables and Ethiopian spices. The Ethiopian punch makes the perfect drink to enjoy with hash. After the meal, the family members share their family stories and enjoy dancing and singing together. 

You can also enjoy this Mother’s Day in Ethiopian style by preparing and enjoying your favorite recipes over childhood memories with your mom. 

Mother’s Day Traditions in Peru

Mom and Daughter wearing Mother's Day Traditions Costume in Peru

In Peru, Mother’s Day is celebrated for almost a week when mothers go around the city to explore museums, attend festivals, and enjoy all entertainment sources. And all this fun is free of cost on Mother’s Day. Gifting flowers and valuables is the most common way of showering love on Peruvian moms. Another interesting fact about Peruvian culture is that they have embraced the inevitable truth of all humankind- death. It gives them the freedom to celebrate both life and death equally. On Mother’s Day, people who have lost their moms visit the graveyards to enjoy their festivities among the deceased ones. Graveyards become a cheerful site filled with vibrant flowers and balloons people bring for their deceased mothers, grandmothers, and wives. Here, people bring food to eat, share old stories of their deceased relatives, and remind themselves of the good times they once shared with their mom.

Mother’s Day Traditions in the United States

Mom & Daughter Enjoying Boat Ride

The US is the place of origin from where it all started. Ann Jarvis brought the inception of honoring mothers as early as the 19th century. Her daughter Anna Jarvis started this tradition by commemorating her mom by giving a memorial service in the home church on her mother’s passing. This ignited the spark of celebrating mothers all around the US, and within five years, the 28th President decided to make it an official day to honor and respect mothers all around the US. 

This was the beginning of a modern way of celebrating this day. On this day, kids prepare breakfast for their moms, take them to restaurants for lunch and dinner, and enjoy fun and refreshing activities together. Sending flowers to mom is another common way of showing love and respect. Carnations are most popular on Mother’s Day in the US. Many people wear corsages as a symbol of respect and gratitude, and it is a unique tradition in the US. The choice of color of carnations is also important on this day. Red carnations are worn to respect the living mothers, whereas the white ones are worn in memory of deceased mothers and grandmothers. 

Mother’s Day Traditions in India

A Women Gifting a Ring to her Mother on Mother's Day Traditions

In India, this day is celebrated by gifting presents and expressing gratitude to the mothers. Although Mother’s day is not declared an official holiday in India, the festivities don’t stop because it falls on the second Sunday in May. The kids prepare delicious meals for their mothers, and the whole family gathers to cherish old memories and fun times.

Mother’s Day Traditions in Japan

After the Second World War, Japan witnessed horrific bloodshed, and many moms lost their children for no reason. So, in the Japanese culture, the concept of Mother’s Day is to comfort moms who have seen many losses in their lives. Children used to give carnations as a sign of respect and honor to mothers, and even now, the tradition is retained to celebrate motherhood all across the country. 

Mother’s Day Traditions in France

France had a unique tradition of gifting medals to the mothers. You must be wondering why? Interestingly, the government of France started awarding medals to the mothers after the first world war, and they decided on an official day to do so. The last Sunday of May is fixed to honor every mother for contributing to growing the country’s population. It doesn’t happen anymore, but people in France still celebrate motherhood by giving their mothers flower-shaped cakes.  

Mother’s Day Traditions in the United Kingdom

The Day is celebrated in the UK on the fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as Mothering Sunday. Originally, people in the UK had religious associations with this day. This day is marked as going to the home church or the ‘mother’ church. But now, the day celebrates and honors the mothers by preparing their favorite meals at home and gifting them flowers. 

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