Mother’s Day was instituted as an official holiday in the United States in 1908.  Since then, it has become a very commercial holiday which is observed with the giving of flowers, gifts and taking Mom out to Brunch, Lunch or Dinner.  In addition, Mother’s Day is one of the biggest days for commercial florists with Mother’s Day vying right there with Valentine’s Day as the biggest day for selling and giving flowers.

The United States however, isn’t the only country that has a Mother’s Day.  In fact, Mother’s Day goes way back to ancient times.  Even though many other countries have long had a day to honor Mother’s many countries have emulated the way in which it is celebrated in the United States.  Below is a list of countries and the day on which they observe or celebrate Mother’s Day, starting with the earliest (in the year) and ending with the latest (in the year)

In the United States, the second Sunday in May is designated as Mother’s Day.  Of all the Days in the World on which Mother’s Day is observed, the second Sunday in May, by far is observed in more countries than any other.  However, there is a Mother’s Day celebrated in almost every month of the year starting in February and ending in December.

The other countries in which Mother’s Day occur on the second Sunday in May are:

Anguilla, Canada, Italy,  Philippines, Switzerland, Aruba, Chile, Dominica, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Australia, People’s Republic of China, Ecuador, Japan, Austria, Estonia, Iran, Latvia, Saint Kitts and     Nevis, Tanganyika, Bahamas, Estonia,  Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Liechtenstein, Tonga,  Barbados, Croatia, Fiji, Macao, Trinidad, Croatia, Cuba, Finland Malaysia, Saint Lucia, Tobago, Belgium, Curacao, Germany,  Burma, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turkey, Belize, Uganda, Bermuda, Cyprus,         Gold Coast, Netherlands, Bonaire, Czech Republic, Greece, New Zealand, Samoa, Botswana,        Denmark, Grenada, Pakistan,  Samoa,  Uruguay, Brazil, Papua, new Guinea, Saint Maarten, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Peru,Slovakia, Zambia, Iceland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India,Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname.

On a side note I get two Mother’s Day each year as I have two sons and a daughter-in-law living in Thailand and they always observe Thailand’s Mother’s Day, August 12th which is also Queen Sirikit’s Birthday.

For more on Mother’s Day see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day