Mother’s Day 2027: Date, History and Ways to Celebrate

Mother’s Day, the annual day that honors mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers and the mother figures in our lives, returns on Sunday, May 9, 2027. So if you like to plan ahead, this guide puts everything in one place: the exact Mother’s Day 2027 date, the dates for the next five years, whether you get the day off, the true story behind the holiday, and how other countries mark it.

We checked every date and historical claim against primary sources, including Woodrow Wilson’s 1914 proclamation, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM, the agency that publishes the federal holiday calendar) and the National Retail Federation. Then, when you are ready to shop or plan, our five companion guides cover gifts, DIY crafts, card messages, Bible verses and things to do on the day.

When Is Mother’s Day 2027?

Mother’s Day 2027 is on Sunday, May 9, 2027. In fact, the US date is never a guess, because the 1914 joint resolution of Congress designates “the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day,” as President Woodrow Wilson’s Proclamation 1268 records.

Since May 1, 2027, falls on a Saturday, the first Sunday of the month is May 2 and the second is May 9. As a result, Mother’s Day 2027 lands near the early end of the May 8 to May 14 window it always occupies.

What day is Mother’s Day this year?

Mother’s Day 2026 has already passed; it fell on Sunday, May 10, 2026. So the next Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027, about seven months from now. If you are reading this in a later year, check the date table below.

Is Mother’s Day always the second Sunday in May?

Yes, in the United States it always is. Congress approved the joint resolution on May 8, 1914, and Wilson issued his proclamation the next day, May 9, 1914. Presidents still issue a Mother’s Day proclamation for the second Sunday in May. However, other countries follow their own rules, which we cover further down.

How early should you plan for Mother’s Day 2027?

Start about three to four weeks ahead, so by mid-April 2027. That timing gives you room for shipping, a restaurant booking and a handwritten card. Also, note that Memorial Day 2027 falls on May 31, three weeks later, so you will not compete with a long weekend for brunch tables.

Mother’s Day Dates for 2027 to 2031

The US Mother’s Day date always falls between May 8 and May 14, because it is the second Sunday of the month. Here are the next five years, plus Father’s Day for comparison.

Year	Mother’s Day (US)	Day	Father’s Day (US)
2027	May 9, 2027	Sunday	June 20, 2027
2028	May 14, 2028	Sunday	June 18, 2028
2029	May 13, 2029	Sunday	June 17, 2029
2030	May 12, 2030	Sunday	June 16, 2030
2031	May 11, 2031	Sunday	June 15, 2031

For the other half of the parenting calendar, see our Father’s Day 2027 guide, which covers its date, history and how to celebrate.

Is Mother’s Day a Federal Holiday?

No, Mother’s Day is not a federal holiday. The OPM federal holiday list for 2027 includes 11 days, from New Year’s Day to Christmas Day, and Mother’s Day is not one of them.

Instead, Mother’s Day is a national observance. Wilson’s 1914 proclamation directed government officials to display the US flag on all government buildings, and it invited Americans to fly the flag at their homes on that Sunday as a sign of respect for the nation’s mothers. Still, because it always falls on a Sunday, most people already have the day off.

Who Started Mother’s Day? History and Origin

Anna Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia, and later Philadelphia, started the modern Mother’s Day, because her campaign produced the first observances on May 10, 1908. However, the idea grew out of earlier work by her own mother and by the poet and activist Julia Ward Howe.

Before 1908: Ann Reeves Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe

Ann Reeves Jarvis, Anna’s mother, lost 8 of her 12 children and then devoted her life to fighting childhood disease. According to West Virginia Tourism, the state’s official tourism office, she organized Mothers’ Day Work Clubs that raised money for medicine for needy families and cared for people with tuberculosis. During the Civil War, the clubs tended wounded soldiers from both armies. Afterward, in 1868, she organized a Mothers’ Friendship Day to bring Union and Confederate veterans together.

Meanwhile, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe, the abolitionist best known for “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” wrote what became known as the “Mother’s Day Proclamation.” It urged mothers to unite for world peace. Then, in 1873, she campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” on June 2, according to History.com. Even so, neither idea became a lasting national holiday.

1908: Anna Jarvis and the first observances

Ann Reeves Jarvis died on May 9, 1905. Soon after, her daughter Anna began campaigning for a day to honor her mother and all mothers. Then, on May 10, 1908, Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton held the first official Mother’s Day service. Anna did not attend in person; instead, she sent a telegram and 500 white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower.

On the same day, thousands of people attended a Mother’s Day event in Philadelphia at a store owned by John Wanamaker, the department-store magnate who helped fund her campaign. The US Census Bureau also dates the first observances to May 10, 1908, in Grafton and Philadelphia. Today, the Grafton church is the International Mother’s Day Shrine, a National Historic Landmark that still holds an annual Mother’s Day service.

1914: Congress and President Wilson make it national

By 1912, many states, towns and churches had adopted the holiday, and Jarvis had founded the Mother’s Day International Association. Two years later, Congress approved a joint resolution on May 8, 1914, naming the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. The next day, May 9, 1914, Wilson signed Proclamation 1268. The National Archives still holds that proclamation, and you can read it on DocsTeach, its online education site.

After 1920: why Anna Jarvis turned against her own holiday

Jarvis wanted a quiet, personal day. However, florists, card makers and candy companies quickly turned it into a shopping event. By 1920, according to History.com, she urged people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candies. She also sued groups that used the Mother’s Day name and spent most of her personal wealth on legal fees. In fact, she later lobbied to remove the holiday from the national calendar. She died in 1948.

Year	Milestone
Before 1861	Ann Reeves Jarvis organizes Mothers’ Day Work Clubs in West Virginia
1868	Ann Reeves Jarvis holds Mothers’ Friendship Day for Union and Confederate veterans
1870	Julia Ward Howe writes the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling for peace
1905	Ann Reeves Jarvis dies on May 9
1908	First observances in Grafton, West Virginia, and Philadelphia (May 10)
1912	Anna Jarvis founds the Mother’s Day International Association
1914	Congress approves the joint resolution (May 8); Wilson signs Proclamation 1268 (May 9)
1920	Jarvis urges people to stop buying Mother’s Day flowers, cards and candy
1948	Anna Jarvis dies

Why Do We Celebrate Mother’s Day? The Real Meaning

We celebrate Mother’s Day to thank the women who raise us, and Anna Jarvis meant it to be personal: a visit, a letter or time together rather than a store-bought gift. That original idea still offers the best guide to the day.

Today, the holiday reaches well beyond biological moms. For example, families use it to honor stepmoms, grandmothers, aunts, foster and adoptive moms, single dads who fill both roles, and mothers who have passed away. In short, it is a day to name the specific things a mother figure did for you, from late-night fevers to school pickups.

What moms often say they want

Ask most moms what they want for Mother’s Day and you will hear some version of “nothing, just spend time with me.” So before you buy anything, try these free ideas, which come straight from the spirit Jarvis intended:

• Call, do not text: a real conversation means more than a quick emoji.
• Visit if you can: even two hours together beats a delivered gift.
• Cook or clean up: then let her sit while everyone else does the dishes.
• Ask about her life: her childhood, her own mom and the dreams she had before you.
• Put your phone away: she notices when you are only half there.
• Name the invisible work: birthdays remembered, holidays hosted and worries carried.

When Is Mother’s Day Around the World?

Many countries share the US date, the second Sunday in May. However, others follow religious, royal or national traditions, so Mother’s Day falls anywhere from March to November depending on where your mom lives.

Country	Rule	Mother’s Day 2027
United States	Second Sunday in May	Sunday, May 9
Canada, Australia, New Zealand	Second Sunday in May	Sunday, May 9
India, Japan, Brazil	Second Sunday in May	Sunday, May 9
United Kingdom and Ireland	Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday)	Sunday, March 7
Mexico	May 10 (fixed)	Monday, May 10
Spain	First Sunday in May	Sunday, May 2
France	Last Sunday in May (moves if it is Pentecost)	Sunday, May 30
Egypt and many Arab countries	March 21 (fixed)	Sunday, March 21
Thailand	August 12 (birthday of Queen Sirikit)	Thursday, August 12
Argentina	Third Sunday in October	Sunday, October 17
Russia	Last Sunday in November	Sunday, November 28

When is Mother’s Day in the UK?

In the UK, Mothering Sunday falls on Sunday, March 7, 2027, the fourth Sunday of Lent and three weeks before Easter. Originally, according to History.com, the day honored a return to one’s “mother church”; today, British families use it to celebrate their moms. So if your mom lives in London and you live in Los Angeles, you have two dates to remember.

Similarly, Mexico’s Día de las Madres always falls on May 10, whatever the weekday. In 2027, that means a Monday, the day after the US holiday, so many Mexican American families can honor mom two days in a row.

How Do Americans Celebrate Mother’s Day?

Most Americans celebrate Mother’s Day with flowers, a card and a meal out. In its April 21, 2026, release, the National Retail Federation (NRF, the largest US retail trade group) projected record Mother’s Day spending of $38 billion, up from $34.1 billion in 2025.

Metric (2026)	Figure
Projected total spending	$38 billion (record)
Average planned spend per person	$284.25 (up from $259.04 in 2025)
US adults planning to celebrate	84%
Plan to buy flowers	75%
Plan to buy greeting cards	74%
Plan a special outing, such as brunch or dinner	63%
Plan to give gift cards	55%
Plan to give clothing or accessories	51%
Biggest category by dollars	Jewelry, about $7.5 billion
Buying for a mother or stepmother / wife / daughter	54% / 22% / 13%

In other words, more than four in five Americans mark the day, and flowers and cards remain the classic pair. Also, a record one-third of shoppers planned to give an experience, such as a concert or a sporting event. That trend fits Anna Jarvis’s original idea of time together better than any boxed gift.

Your Mother’s Day 2027 Guide

The best way to celebrate is to match the plan to your mom: a gift if she loves things, an outing if she loves experiences, and a heartfelt card no matter what. So use our companion guides to fill in the details:

How to Say Happy Mother’s Day So It Sticks

Say something specific: one thing she taught you, one memory you treasure and one way she still helps you today. A specific thank-you lands better than a generic “happy Mother’s Day,” because it proves you noticed.

Most of us never properly thank our moms for the everyday things. So here are a few reasons worth putting into words this year:

• For the thousands of meals, school runs and rides home that you took for granted.
• For staying up with you through fevers, nightmares and panicked calls from college.
• For surviving your teenage years, slammed doors included, without giving up on you.
• For the worries she carried quietly so your childhood could feel lighter.
• For the plans she postponed and the money she spent on you instead of herself.
• For believing in you out loud when you did not believe in yourself.
• For still being the first person you want to call with big news.

Then turn one of those reasons into a short tribute. For example, start a card with “Mom, I never thanked you for…” and finish it with a real memory. Also, timing matters: a morning call sets the tone for her whole day, while a longer letter works best when she can read it privately.

Mother’s Day for Grandmas, Stepmoms and Moms-to-Be

Yes, Mother’s Day is for grandmas, stepmoms and moms-to-be too; the 1914 resolution never defined who counts as a mother, and families define it broadly. In fact, the NRF survey shows shoppers buying for mothers and stepmothers, wives, daughters and others. So here are simple ways to include everyone:

• Grandmas: ask her to tell a family story, then record it on your phone so you keep it forever.
• Stepmoms: a note that thanks her for choosing your family often means more than any gift.
• Moms-to-be: a card “from the bump,” plus a foot rub or a nap, celebrates her before the baby arrives.
• New moms: her first Mother’s Day deserves a photo of her with the baby, and an afternoon off.
• Wives: let the kids lead the plan, and then handle all the logistics yourself.
• Single dads and other caregivers: if a dad, aunt or foster parent fills the mom role, thank them too.

When Mother’s Day Is Hard

Mother’s Day can be painful if you have lost your mom, are estranged from her, have lost a child or are struggling with infertility. If that is you, you do not have to celebrate at all; the day will pass, and skipping it is allowed.

Still, some people find small rituals help. For example, you might cook her favorite recipe, visit a place she loved, write her a letter you never send, or tell a younger relative a story about her. Anna Jarvis herself chose the white carnation in honor of her late mother, so wearing one remains a quiet way to remember. For gentle words, our quotes guide includes messages in memory of mom.

Frequently Asked Questions