Mother's Day in the United States
When is Mother's Day in United States?
Mother's Day in United States is on May 11, 2025. It falls on Sunday.
How many days until Mother's Day in United States?
There are 170 Days left until Mother's Day in the United States.
Is Mother's Day a public holiday in United States?
Mother’s Day is an annual celebration observed in the United States every second Sunday in May. Although it is not a public holiday, many Americans celebrate Mother’s Day to honor motherhood and give recognition and appreciation to what they do.
On this day, most of the country’s businesses, public establishments, and educational institutions operate on their regular schedules. Traditions and practices associated with Mother’s Day are now adopted by many countries. At present, there are over 40 countries around the world which celebrate this special day, though not necessarily on the same dates.
Origin of Mother's Day
Mother’s Day started in the United States when Anna Jarvis campaigned for it. This campaign began in 1905 in honor of Jarvis’ mother - Ann Reeves Jarvis, who died that same year. Jarvis wanted the country to have a holiday honoring all mothers because she believed that a mother is someone who has done more for their children than anyone in the world. Her campaign was successful that it was proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson as a national holiday in 1914. Although no longer a federal holiday today, Mother’s Day is still celebrated every second Sunday in May each year.
When was Mother’s Day first celebrated?
The first modern celebration of Mother's Day occurred in 1908 when Anna Jarvis, who initiated this holiday, arranged a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. To commemorate this first modern celebration, the same church venue has now become a Mother’s Day Shrine and has also turned into a popular sanctuary and tourist destination.
Mother's Day Traditions in the US
The customs and practices may vary for countries celebrating Mother’s Day, however, it is generally true that it is a day set aside to recognize, acknowledge, and appreciate all sacrifices and contributions the mothers and mother figures (e.g. grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, aunts, etc.) have made to help shape us become the better versions of ourselves every day.
How do Americans celebrate Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day in the United States is celebrated by offering a rest day for mothers and/or mother figures. It is the time of year where they are being served by their children. Breakfast in bed is a typical way to start the day’s celebration. The rest of the day is then treated as a ‘free day’ for most mothers. Domestic chores such as cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, feeding pets, and others are often taken over by the children, along with their dads. Americans also typically give “Happy Mother’s Day” greetings to their mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, aunts, or any other mother figures on this day.
For those children who work far away from home, they would usually call their mothers to greet her. Mother's Day is considered the biggest holiday for long-distance telephone calls in the United States. Aside from that, churchgoing is also another popular activity. Many Americans celebrate Mother’s Day by attending church services along with their families.
Gift-Giving
One of the most established practice for Mother’s Day celebration is the giving of gifts. Like other countries, flowers and chocolates are also well-recognized symbols during Mother’s Day in the United States. Alongside flowers (usually colored carnations for those mothers who are alive and white carnations for those mothers who have died) and box of chocolates, jewelries, shoes, new dresses, and clothes are other typical presents given to all mothers and mother figures. Greeting cards are also popular and the children would often give Mother’s Day cards on this day. It could be ready-made card bought from stores or a personalized and handmade one. Some children would even decorate their houses with colorful papers to mark this day’s celebration.
Special Meals
Since many Americans prefer to treat their mothers outside on Mother’s Day, it is expected for most restaurants to get especially crowded on this day. Therefore, some people would make sure to book reservations few weeks/days before the celebration. For others, a special lunch or dinner arranged at home is a fine choice too. Meatball lasagna, chocolate cakes, and burgers are among the food usually consumed during Mother’s Day in the United States.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 11 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| 2026 | May 10 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| 2027 | May 09 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| 2028 | May 14 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| 2029 | May 13 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| 2030 | May 12 | Sunday | Mother's Day |
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Day | November 28, 2024 |
| Day after Thanksgiving Day | November 29, 2024 |
| Christmas Eve | December 24, 2024 |
Download or print free 2024 calendar which includes the list of holidays in United States. Free holiday calendar templates in more than 130 countries are provided in PDF, Excel, and Microsoft Word format. For those who like to get a calendar that starts on Monday, we also have ISO calendar.
The November 2024 monthly calendar for the United States shows the holidays for the month, which is helpful in planning schedule and events in reference to the upcoming holidays in the US. It is available in PDF, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel formats. You may select your preferred orientation and preferred start of week since we have Monday start calendar or Sunday start calendar.
If you are looking to print or download just a list of holidays in United States for the year 2024, we have that available in PDF, Word and Excel formats. This can be helpful for those who like to keep track of the holidays, be it for travel, work or any other purposes. It is free to use, just like the rest of our templates.