Mother's Day: history and traditions of celebration in different countries. International Mother's Day Mother's Day who invented

Mom, mommy, mommy ... This word hides a special energy, every sound in it is saturated with warmth, tenderness and endless love. Mom is a wise adviser and reliable friend. Mom is the best healer of our spiritual wounds and insults. Mom is an assistant in all our endeavors. Mom is a faithful guardian angel who vigilantly takes care of our happiness and well-being. And in this world, and, most likely, in the other world.

History of International Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a great universal holiday that occupies a special niche in the calendar of solemn dates. A special holiday in honor of mother earth, the goddess of fertility, Persephone, was celebrated in ancient Greece. Mother's Day was first celebrated in England in the 17th century. This tradition has not disappeared even today. Until now, on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the British honor mothers. In the United States, Mother's Day appeared in the early 20th century. In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson signed a decree that the second Sunday in May is the national holiday of all mothers in the United States. The initiative was supported by many European and Eastern countries. Since the early 1930s, the second Sunday in May has been the official International Mother's Day.

History of Mother's Day in Russia

The official holiday Mother's Day in Russia appeared recently. Until 1998, our dear mothers, like all Russian women, had only one holiday - March 8. The initiator of the establishment of Mother's Day was the Committee of the State Duma for Women, Youth and Family Affairs. On January 30, 1998, Russian President Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin signed a decree on celebrating the All-Russian Mother's Day on the last Sunday of November. Why this date was chosen for Mother's Day is not clear. Most likely, there were no other "free" places in the Russian holiday calendar at that time.

Mother's Day Traditions

Over the years, Mother's Day has become one of the most beloved Russian holidays. Every year on the last Sunday of November, it is customary to congratulate not only mothers, but also pregnant women. In recent years, it has become a good tradition to honor and reward mothers of many children and mothers who take orphans to raise in honor of the holiday. Another good custom, borrowed from the American mother's day, is also spreading - pinning a carnation to clothes. Colored, if the mother is alive, and white, if she is no longer in this world.

Mom will never be replaced by anyone. Probably, no matter how many warm and kind words we say to our mothers, it will still not be enough. Take care, love and respect your mothers, do everything so that they can be proud of you, share with them all their joys and troubles, call them not only on weekends, but every single day. Be sure to sincerely and tenderly congratulate them on the last Sunday of November, present poems, gifts, flowers and sweets. Be with them on this day and take care of all their daily household chores. If you are far away, just call your mother on the morning of the holiday and say: “Happiness to you, my dear, beloved and only mother! I know that sometimes it is very difficult for you with me. But, believe me, I appreciate every day that I can spend next to you and every moment when I can look into your kind, intelligent and loving eyes.

Today is the second Sunday of May, holiday: International Mother's Day

International Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.

Mother's Day is an international holiday in honor of mothers. On this day, it is customary to congratulate mothers and pregnant women, unlike International Women's Day, when congratulations are accepted by all the fair sex. Mother's Day in Russia is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of November.

Honoring a woman-mother has a long history. It is known that even in ancient Greece they paid tribute to Gaia, the mother of all gods.
Later, from the 17th to the 19th centuries, the so-called Mothering Sunday was celebrated in Great Britain - the fourth Sunday of Great Lent, dedicated to honoring mothers throughout the country. On this day, all the servants were sent home to spend time with their mothers. Traditionally, a special cake was baked.

In the United States, Mother's Day was first publicly supported by the famous American pacifist Julia Ward Howe, who published the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1872. "Mother's Day" according to Julia Ward is a day of unity of mothers in the struggle for world peace. The concept of Julia Ward did not find wide support either in the US or in other countries.

In 1907, Anna Jarvis, an American from Philadelphia, took the initiative to honor mothers in memory of her mother. Anna wrote letters to government agencies, legislatures, and eminent persons, suggesting that one day a year be dedicated to honoring mothers. In 1910, the state of Virginia was the first to recognize Mother's Day as an official holiday. In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national holiday in honor of all American mothers.

Following the United States, the second Sunday of May was declared a holiday by 23 countries (including: Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia, etc.), and more more than 30 celebrate the holiday on other days.
In the United States and Australia, there is a tradition to wear a carnation flower on clothes on this day. Moreover, the color matters, so the colored carnation has the meaning “the mother of a person is alive”, and white flowers are pinned to clothes in memory of departed mothers.

Today, on this day, it is customary to congratulate mothers, to pay tribute to maternal labor. Traditionally, on Mother's Day in many countries, mothers are given gifts, cards and flowers. And, for example, in Mexico, the celebration of Mother's Day is accompanied by special Catholic masses, during which “las mananitas” is played in the cathedrals, and a festive dinner is arranged for all mothers.

Holiday calendar in May

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November is rich in various holidays and memorable dates, and at the end of this month another rather young, but at the same time very important holiday is expected - Mother's Day. In this article, you will find out when Mother's Day will be in 2020, what is the history of this holiday, how it is celebrated in Russia and other countries.

What date is mother's day in 2020 in Russia

In the Russian Federation, this holiday has a floating date, as it is celebrated on the last Sunday of November. This, of course, is not very convenient, and many people forget such an important and symbolic day (and the holiday itself was approved not so long ago).

By the way, it is worth distinguishing between International Mother's Day and our Russian version. The thing is that in many countries the holiday in honor of mothers is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, that is, in Russia they celebrate much later.

  • Celebrated on the second Sunday in May: USA, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Italy, Cyprus, Estonia, Ukraine.
  • Mother's Day is celebrated on October 14 in Belarus, March 3 in Georgia, April 7 in Armenia, March 21 in Egypt, May 26 in Poland, and May 9 in Greece. And in Sweden and France, mothers are congratulated on the last Sunday of May.

As you can see, the spread of dates is quite large, here it is no longer like with International Women's Day. It is quite possible that in the distant future a more general, unifying holiday in honor of all mothers will be formed.

The essence and history of the holiday

For almost everyone, the closest, most beloved, most dear person is their own mother. Becoming a mother, a woman takes on a huge responsibility, she begins to show great care, patience, love, and even makes self-sacrifice for the sake of her own children.

Without mothers, there would be no all these generations and, in fact, the history of mankind. Society understands the importance of the role of the mother, and therefore creates special holidays that help draw attention to the position of mothers in our world.


The veneration of a woman-mother is rooted in ancient Greece, there was even a whole cult of the mother. Various rituals were performed in honor of Cybele, Rhea and other goddesses who can be associated with motherhood and fertility.

In 18th and 19th century Britain there was a so-called "Mother's Sunday" celebrated on the second Sunday. In fact, this is the closest prototype of the modern mother's holiday, only with a certain religious connotation.

Since the 19th century, there have been various initiatives in the United States, proposals have been put forward to set aside a specific day for honoring mothers, so that all this happens at the official level. The state of Virginia was the first to respond, where in 1910 Mother's Day was recognized as an official holiday. And in 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson established that the second Sunday in May would be a national holiday during which all American mothers would be honored.

Then, following the United States, other countries also began to introduce a similar holiday, and many took the same date as the basis - the second Sunday in May. So, in fact, the International Mother's Day was formed, and now we'll talk about our Russian version of this holiday.

In Russia, "Mother's Day" was officially established only in 1998. In accordance with the Decree of the President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin dated January 30, 1998, this holiday is celebrated on the last Sunday of November. The purpose of the holiday is to support the tradition of caring for women, to strengthen family foundations, and to increase the social significance of motherhood.

As for the USSR, the first holiday with the name "Mother's Day" in the Soviet space was held on October 30, 1988 at school 228 in Baku. The author of this event was Elmira Javadovna Huseynova, a teacher of literature and the Russian language. Further, the baton was picked up by other schools of different republics of the USSR, so the holiday gradually became nationwide, but so far without official recognition.

How Mother's Day is Celebrated

As it was written above, for the first time, Mother's Day in the USSR began to be celebrated in schools, and therefore, schools and kindergartens are still a kind of "festival center".


  • Various skits, singing, poetry readings, funny and not very performances are arranged. There are also exhibitions of various handicrafts, drawings and other works of art.
  • At home, in the family circle, feasts are usually arranged, where they try to gather as many relatives as possible. And in these moments, a special connection between generations is felt, a feeling of gratitude and unity arises.
  • At the state level, various concerts, processions, actions, as well as awards for particularly distinguished mothers are also held. In general, it's a bit like even a teacher's day.

With age, having plunged into a sea of ​​troubles, it is not worth forgetting those who gave us life.

Of course, there are different situations that are not very good, and even some women cannot be called mothers, but in this case it remains only to show by example what a family should be like, and what kind of relationship should be between a mother and a child.

Be sure to congratulate your mothers, and, of course, pay attention to them not only during this holiday (which not everyone is aware of yet), but as often as possible. After all, years go by, and suddenly a moment may come when it will be too late to say all those words that we have been putting off all our lives for later.

For many, it becomes a discovery that in Russia there is a separate holiday - Mother's Day, which is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of the last month of autumn. In 2018, it will be the twenty-fifth of November. Mother's Day has been celebrated in Russia for twenty years now, since the celebration was officially established in 1998.

For Russia, this holiday is young. However, all over the world (at least in most countries) for the fourth century, Mothering Sunday is celebrated - an analogue of our Mother's Day.

This holiday is equally loved in all countries of the world, and there is nothing unusual in this. Everyone has a mother, which means that Mother's Day can be celebrated not only in Russia, but all over the world. The purpose of Mother's Day is to draw attention to the problems of mothers in our country. Although, in a good way, to solve all the problems associated with motherhood, you need to celebrate this date every day.

If you are not enough for every day, then at least once a year you can find the most pleasant, warm and beautiful words for your beloved mothers and congratulate them on their Day. If you think that one day of the year is not enough, add International Mother's Day to your holiday calendar. It is celebrated in Europe, the USA, Japan and Canada every second Sunday in May.

Give your moms some nice, beautiful gift. May they feel your love this holiday. The official date when Mother's Day is celebrated in Russia is the last Sunday of November. Don't forget to congratulate dear and beloved mothers on the holiday! Congratulations on Mother's Day in Russia - the last Sunday of November

Interesting Facts:

  • Tribute to the hard work of the mother was paid, starting from antiquity, where mother cults existed. This formed the basis of the modern festival. In ancient Greece, the mother of all gods, Gaia, was revered, while the Romans revered Cybele.
  • During the Middle Ages, the role of mother was highly respected. So in the UK, Mother's Sunday was held, on which children who worked away from their parents were allowed to visit their families, which happened once a year.
  • In the United States, the appearance of this holiday is associated with the death of Mary Jarvis, who greatly influenced her daughter. After her mother's death, she wrote to the Senate proposing an official Mother's Day, and it was formally recognized in 1910.

In each of the countries, of course, it is traditionally customary to give flowers to mothers, but in the USA and Australia they pin carnations on clothes, depending on the color of which, they pay tribute to living or departed mothers. In Russia, the symbol of Mother's Day has become the forget-me-not, which, according to ancient beliefs, has the ability to remind of forgotten loved ones.

Characteristic of Mother's Day is the action "Mom, I love you!", within which various events are held. In addition, festive concerts are held in public institutions, such as kindergartens or schools, where children delight their parents, as well as the organization of mass concerts with the participation of stars.

In many areas, the leadership encourages heroine mothers with medals, certificates, and cash rewards.

Mother's Day is considered international, despite the fact that in all countries (and there are more than 23 of them), it takes place under different dates. Although Mother's Day is a relatively new holiday for our country, despite this, it enjoys respect and reverence.

Where was Mother's Day celebrated for the first time?
The first holiday called "Mother's Day" was held in Baku. During the school holiday concert, Elmira Javadovna Huseynova, a teacher of Russian literature and language, suggested that the school students hold it every year. The proposal was picked up by many newspapers, as well as schools in Russia.

For fiction, let them not be considered,
I heard it from the sun
Roses bloom in our hearts
While the mother's heart is beating.
Oh mom! Towards the worlds
Walking through sunrises and thunderstorms
I wish all mothers
Distribute your scarlet roses.

Let the thunder of separation, parting
Will be silenced by the strings of love.
And the meeting, with a gentle touch,
Will touch all your thoughts.
My mother dear
Today is only your holiday -
Happy Mother's Day my dear
Live happily, sing with your soul.
I wish you kindness and hope
Good health to you.
Let the dream, covered with snow,
Draws with a brush on fate.

This is the day of the whole universe,
It is ancient and modern
We congratulate mothers
We wish love from children
Mom is the most important thing in the world
Remember this, kids!
Praise your mothers
They are the most important, wiser.

Mom, beloved, dear,
My treasure is priceless
Nothing in the world is dearer to me
Than your mother's heart.
I would embroider your portrait in gold,
If only you were even more beautiful.
I will shout so that everyone around can hear:
"I want you to live forever."

There is nothing more important than a mother in this world,
And the loss of this person can no longer be replaced,
Therefore, you must always remember this
And love your mother a hundred times more!
I promise to come to you more often
Not only on holidays to give you flowers,
And on this International Mother's Day,
I will say that the best mother on the account is you!

Like a mother, there is no one else I do not love,
You help me to live happily in the world,
And today I ask you only one thing,
You live very long, my dear!
Mother's Day is just a wonderful holiday,
After all, mom is our closest person,
So may your fate be as beautiful
You be healthy and happy for another century!

Sometimes we thoughtlessly spent your warmth,
And you forgave us all stupid deeds,
Today, on Mother's Day,
We will congratulate you every minute.
Mommy, you are our most important little man,
Today we congratulate you on Mother's Day,
Well, I want to tell you about the most important thing,
I love you, and I will never, ever betray you!

There is probably no country where Mother's Day is not celebrated. In Russia, Mother's Day is celebrated annually at the end of November. Established by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 120 of January 30, 1998, it is celebrated on the last Sunday of November, paying tribute to maternal labor, their selfless sacrifice for the benefit of their children and "in order to increase the social significance of motherhood."

Every year, Mother's Day is becoming more and more popular in Russian society. And this is wonderful: no matter how many good, kind words we say to our mothers, no matter how many reasons we come up with for this, they will not be superfluous. Especially beautiful and unforgettable are various events dedicated to this Day in preschool and educational institutions, where children give their mothers not only kind words and smiles, but also many hand-made gifts and specially prepared concert numbers.

When is Mother's Day in 2018 in Russia, what date

Mother's Day in Russia is celebrated on the last Sunday of November. In 2018, the holiday falls on November 25 and is celebrated at the official level for the 21st time. It is celebrated by all mothers and pregnant women.

Holiday traditions

The symbols of the holiday are a teddy bear and a forget-me-not flower.

Mother's Day in Russia is not widely celebrated. On this holiday, children congratulate their mothers, give them gifts made by themselves: drawings, applications, crafts. Social actions are taking place, the most popular of which is “Mom, I love you”. Distribution of leaflets and greeting cards is carried out near metro stations, public transport stops and shopping centers. Public organizations hold public lectures on the topic of motherhood. The main goal of social activity is a caring and careful attitude to the mother, the spread of family values ​​and traditions.

Radio and television broadcast programs about family and relationships. The first persons of the state congratulate mothers. In their speeches, they emphasize the role of women in procreation and human development.

History of Mother's Day in Russia

In the Russian Federation, this sincere, unique holiday has been celebrated since 1998. It was then that a decree was issued that established this holiday in Russia. The purpose of creating this holiday was to increase the social significance of motherhood.

Also on this day, all people can pay tribute to their mothers. Everyone should thank their mother for those selfless sacrifices that all our own mothers make for the good of their children, for their happiness.

Becoming a mother, every woman is revealed from the best side. Her whole life changes. All the best qualities, kindness and tenderness, affection and love, are fully revealed in her. A child is the dearest person on earth for every mother.

And for children, mother is the closest, dearest person who will never betray, never leave, will always love and protect from troubles. At any moment, mom will always help. Mom is the best person on earth.

When is the holiday celebrated abroad?

It should be noted that Mother's Day exists not only in the Russian Federation. It is also celebrated in: America, Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Belgium, Israel, in the republics of the former USSR, etc. But the date of the holiday is different in different countries:

USA, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Finland celebrate it on the 2nd Sunday of May.

France - the last Sunday in May.

England - the first Saturday in March.

Holland - the first Sunday in May.

It is believed that the holiday originated in other countries thanks to America. Today this holiday is known in 115 countries.

Happy Mother's Day

Today is a touching day
Beautiful, very bright holiday:
Russian day of all mothers.
All mothers for children are a support and mentor.

We want everyone to be happy
Captured a stream of happy thoughts,
Reliable and faithful shoulder
Moved through life with love!

My beloved mother,
Happy Mother's Day, I want to congratulate you!
I want to kiss you and hug you
And wish you all the best, my dear.
So that you always remain so beautiful,
Always be happy and smile.

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