Mother's Day 2016: Which countries celebrate it on 8 May – and why?
Where in the world is it Mother's Day? And how does it differ between countries
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Your support makes all the difference.When is Mother’s Day?
Don’t worry if you live in the UK (though you may need to if you live in the US). For many countries around the world, today - second Sunday in May - is Mother’s Day.
When is it in other countries?
In the UK, Mother's Day is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent (this year’s, as you’ll know, was back on 6 March). The French, meanwhile, celebrate the event on a different day altogether – “Maman's” day is reserved for the last Sunday in the month of May. Whereas in Spain, Mother’s Day is celebrated on 8 December, when they also pay tribute to the Virgin Mary.
Is it Mothering Sunday or Mother’s Day?
When you say "Mother’s Day" you are actually referring to the American version of the event. President Woodrow Wilson established the first national Mother’s Day holiday to celebrate America’s mothers in 1914.
Many have pointed the finger of blame at the US for commercialising the affair and changing the name from Mothering Sunday to Mother’s Day in Britain.
How did it start?
American social activist Anna Jarvis (1864-1948), given the fitting title of the "Mother of Mother's Day", campaigned for an official day to honour mothers in the US.
After her mother's death, Ms Jarvis dedicated her life to the creation of the day, and the likes of Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg have continued with calls for better paid maternity leave for single mothers on Mother's Day.
However, Ms Jarvis was critical of what the day became, saying "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit."
Japan took it up in May 1932, after 19 years of observance by Christians, reflecting the wide reach of Mother’s Day internationally.
So who's celebrating it today?
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Cambodia
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
ominica
Ecuador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guyana
Honduras
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Latvia
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Myanmar
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
Vietnam
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe
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