Some say it’s a commercialised occasion; we say it’s a wonderful excuse to celebrate the remarkable motherly figures in your life. Whether it’s breakfast in bed, flowers and a card, or treating them to some pampering, Mother’s Day is an opportunity for us to pause our busy lives and show our appreciation for the women we love the most!
With this year’s Mother’s Day just around the corner, we were intrigued to learn how it’s celebrated by different cultures around the globe. To give you some celebration inspiration, here are our top picks from a few different corners of the world to help you celebrate your mum, grandmother or any other special motherly figure in your life this Mother’s Day.
1. Mexico
In Mexico, Día de las Madres, or Mother’s Day, is one of the busiest holidays of the year, where restaurants nationwide are packed to the brim with families celebrating their mothers over a special lunch or dinner. It’s common for children to spend Mother’s Day eve at home, and in the morning, they’ll show their love by playing Mexican songs like ‘Las Mananitas’.
2. India
Perhaps no one celebrates Mother’s Day quite like they do in India. Those who are Hindu celebrate mothers and women with a ten-day, nine-night event called Navratri – a festival dedicated to the Divine Feminine. Depending on the region of India, people may spend the festival feasting or fasting, reflecting or dancing.
3. France
Historically, on Fête des Mères (Mother’s Day), the French government presented medals to Mother’s with big families to entice them into having more children. That tradition was shaken up in the 1920s, and it’s instead become a day to celebrate mothers and female equality. In the modern world, French families typically celebrate with an intimate family dinner.
4. Ethiopia
Mother’s Day in Ethiopia is no low-key affair. At the end of the rainy season, during a three-day celebration known as Antrosht, mothers are celebrated with feasts of lamb or bull, vegetables, and a traditional Ethiopian punch, sourced predominantly by their children as a symbol of their love for their mothers.
5. Poland
Dzień Matki, Polish Mother’s Day, is celebrated every year on the 26th of May, regardless of the day of the week. It’s a tradition for children to gift their mothers unique cards – called laurki – made by hand using natural and paper flowers and write love notes for their mothers inside.
6. Thailand
Mother’s Day was only celebrated for the first time in Thailand on 12th August 1976 – the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand. To this day, it’s celebrated on the 12th of August each year, serving as a national holiday filled with parades and fireworks to honour all mothers, as well as Queen Sirikit. These days, mothers also receive jasmine flowers from their children as a symbol of purity and mother love.
7. Peru
Peruvians celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May each year. Alongside showering mothers with gifts, they use the celebration to honour mothers, grandmothers, and other remarkable women who are no longer with us. It’s a vibrant gathering filled with socialising, eating, drinking, and decorating their loved ones’ graves with flowers.
8. Japan
Like many worldwide, in Japan Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Many people gift their mother red carnations as a token of their love, but the tradition that sets them aside from the rest of the world is their arts and crafts. Every year, children in school draw pictures of their mothers around Mother’s Day, with the opportunity to enter their picture into a contest every four years to showcase their photographs to the world.
Still need help with gift ideas?
While a three-day food-filled festival sounds like a fantastic way to celebrate, your Mother’s Day traditions down under are probably a little more low-key and intimate. If you’re stuck on what to do, dip into one of these mum-approved ideas:
- The power of flowers – flowers are the perfect way to brighten up Mum’s Day. You don’t need to spend a small fortune, either – get creative with what you’ve got in your garden, google tips for guidance on creating a beautiful but affordable bouquet. If you know she loves flowers, and you want to spend a little more, a flower subscription is a beautiful gift that will brighten many of her days!
- A curated gift box – mums are known for putting everyone else before themselves. This Mother’s Day, spoil her with a box filled with all of her favourite things: a luxury tea, her most loved chocolate box, a bottle of fine wine, a book you know she’ll be buried in for days, or a scented candle and bath salts.
- Your time and attention – get a date in the diary (Mother’s Day or otherwise) to spend with your special person. Leave the phones at home, stroll your local market, picnic at the park, or take her out for brunch or coffee. Make the day all about her and give her your undivided attention.
- A good cause – every year, the Mother’s Day Classic takes place across 70 locations around Australia to support breast cancer research. Depending on your region, the event includes a walk or run filled with entertainment, music, and food – all good things to enjoy with your mother on Mother’s Day and for an excellent cause.
- A day off – we all know that mums are the world’s best multitaskers – they’re often simultaneously packing the school lunches, organising the dog’s vet appointment, folding the washing, and drinking their coffee. Knowing that, there might be no better gift than taking the load off Mum this Mother’s Day – and not letting her lift a finger. Do the chores, wash her laundry, and clean the house top to bottom while you send her out for a walk, coffee, or massage.
From fireworks to parades and gifting medals, to the more Aussie-typical traditions like flowers and dinner, all Mother’s Day traditions have stood the test of time and evolved into how we celebrate today. And whether you want to take her out for a special dinner, simply Facetime her from a distance or take inspiration from around the globe this Mother’s Day, there’s one thing all these traditions have in common: to celebrate women and mothers everywhere. To all the amazing women in our lives Happy Mother’s Day from the entire team at First National Real Estate.
DISCLAIMER:
The above advice is of a general nature only and intended as a broad guide. The advice should not be regarded as medical, legal, financial, or real estate advice. You should make your own inquiries and obtain independent professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before making legal, financial, or real estate decisions. Click here for full Terms of Use