Mother's Day 2026 worldwide: Different dates in 100+ countries

Mother's Day 2026 is on Sunday, 10 May 2026 in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, and most of the world. But the UK celebrates Mothering Sunday on Sunday, 15 March 2026 (3 weeks before Easter), and other countries have their own dates throughout the year.

Here's the complete worldwide guide to Mother's Day 2026.

Quick reference: Mother's Day 2026 by date

United States Mother's Day — Sunday, 10 May 2026

The most widely-recognized date globally — the second Sunday of May. The American Mother's Day was established by Anna Jarvis in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, as a memorial to her own mother. President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday in 1914.

What's traditional

• Brunch — restaurants are typically fully booked
• Flowers — roses (especially white for deceased mothers, red for living)
• Greeting cards — Mother's Day is the 3rd-biggest card holiday after Christmas and Valentine's Day
• Gifts — flowers, chocolates, jewelry, spa days, handmade gifts from children
• Phone calls / visits — Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for US phone traffic

Spending stats

• Average American spends ~$220 on Mother's Day gifts
• Total US spending ~$31 billion annually
• Flowers alone account for ~$3 billion

Anna Jarvis hated commercialization

Ironically, by 1923, Jarvis was openly disgusted with how commercialized Mother's Day had become. She spent the rest of her life campaigning against the very holiday she founded. She died in 1948 in a sanatorium, her medical bills paid (without her knowledge) by the floral and greeting-card industries.

UK Mothering Sunday — Sunday, 15 March 2026

The UK and Ireland celebrate Mothering Sunday — a much older holiday with religious roots, often confused with American Mother's Day.

Why mid-March?

Mothering Sunday is fixed to the church calendar — the fourth Sunday of Lent, which falls on 15 March 2026 (Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026).

It traces back to a 16th-century Christian tradition where servants and apprentices were given the day off to visit their "mother church" (the main church in their parish or hometown). They typically traveled home and brought flowers or a "mothering cake" (Simnel cake).

Traditional Mothering Sunday foods

• Simnel cake — light fruit cake topped with marzipan balls representing the apostles
• Furmety — wheat porridge with milk, sugar, and spices

UK customs today

• Modern UK observance has largely converged with American-style Mother's Day customs (cards, flowers, brunch)
• The 22-week earlier date often confuses Americans living in the UK
• UK businesses still treat it commercially as the equivalent of US Mother's Day

France — Sunday, 31 May 2026

Fête des Mères falls on the last Sunday of May in France — except when it conflicts with Pentecost Sunday, in which case it's moved to the first Sunday of June.

In 2026, Pentecost is 24 May, so Mother's Day stays on 31 May.

Origins

Officially established by President Vincent Auriol in 1950, though informal celebrations date earlier (Napoleon proposed something similar in 1806).

French traditions

• Children give handmade gifts (especially from school)
• Family lunches at restaurants
• Flowers — lily of the valley if early May, roses if late May

Arab countries — Saturday, 21 March 2026

Most Arab countries celebrate Mother's Day on March 21 — coinciding with the spring equinox (start of spring). The holiday was popularized in Egypt by journalist Mustafa Amin in 1956, then spread region-wide.

Countries observing 21 March:

• Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan

In countries with a Christian minority (Lebanon, Syria), the Christian community sometimes also celebrates the international 10 May.

Indonesia — Tuesday, 22 December 2026

Indonesia's Hari Ibu (Mother's Day) falls on 22 December — commemorating the First Indonesian Women's Congress held on that date in 1928 in Yogyakarta.

The holiday emphasizes women's roles in the Indonesian independence movement and women's rights, rather than the family-focused Western tradition.

Norway — Sunday, 8 February 2026

Norway's Mor's Dag (Mother's Day) is the second Sunday of February — distinct from neighboring Scandinavian countries.

Sweden uses the last Sunday of May (24 May 2026), Denmark and Finland use the second Sunday of May (10 May 2026, same as international).

Polish Mother's Day — Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Dzień Matki is fixed at May 26 each year. Children give handmade cards and flowers. Even adults celebrate by visiting their mothers.

Mother's Day in 2026 — full calendar summary

For your specific country, see the country calendar pages:

• USA 2026 — May 10
• UK 2026 — March 15
• France 2026 — May 31
• Germany 2026 — May 10
• India 2026 — May 10
• Indonesia 2026 — December 22
• Saudi Arabia 2026 — March 21
• Egypt 2026 — March 21
• Japan 2026 — May 10
• China 2026 — May 10
• Brazil 2026 — May 10

Is Mother's Day a public holiday?

In most countries, no — Mother's Day is not a federal public holiday. It's culturally significant but workers are not given the day off. Exceptions:

• Mexico — partial holiday for many businesses (10 May)
• Thailand — public holiday (12 August — the Queen's birthday)
• Argentina — public holiday (3rd Sunday of October)

Greetings

• English: Happy Mother's Day
• Spanish: Feliz Día de la Madre
• French: Bonne Fête des Mères
• German: Alles Gute zum Muttertag
• Italian: Buona Festa della Mamma
• Portuguese: Feliz Dia das Mães
• Arabic: عيد الأم سعيد (Eid al-Umm sa'eed)
• Japanese: お母さん、ありがとう (Okaasan, arigatou)
• Chinese: 母亲节快乐 (Mǔqīnjié kuàilè)
• Indonesian: Selamat Hari Ibu
• Hindi: मातृ दिवस की शुभकामनाएं (Matri Divas ki shubhkamnayein)

Related references

• Father's Day 2026 worldwide
• May 2026 calendar
• March 2026 calendar
• December 2026 calendar
• Mother's Day holiday detail
• Observances by country

Mother's Day is observed but not legally mandated as a public holiday in most countries. Verify with your employer for any day-off policies.