When is Mother's Day in the UK and why is it different to the US?

Mother’s Day is today… if you live in the US, Australia, Germany, China, Greece and other places around the globe.

If you’re UK-based and found yourself in a brief panic this morning after seeing lovely Mother’s Day messages plastered all across social media, you certainly wouldn’t be alone.

But never fear – our Mother’s Day has come and gone, as we use a different date than those across the pond.

So, when exactly is Mother’s Day in the UK, and why is it celebrated on another day in the US?

Here’s all you need to know.

When is Mother’s Day in the UK?

In 2022, the UK celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 27 – which means it’s long passed.

We’ll be celebrating and remembering wonderful mums/mams and treasured loved ones again on Sunday, March 19 2023, and the following year on Sunday, March 10.

Only a few countries share this date, including Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Ireland and Nigeria.

Why is Mother’s Day on a different date in the US?

As mentioned, the US date for Mother’s Day 2022 is today (Sunday, May 8).

In 2023, Americans will celebrate and honour moms, grandmas and special figures in their lives on Sunday, May 14.

In the UK, you’ll notice that the date changes significantly every year.

This is because Mothering Sunday first began as a church tradition over here, taking place three weeks before Easter on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

This was when Christians would visit their ‘mother church’ – and is the reason for the term Mothering Sunday.

Because the dates of Lent and Easter change each year, based on the Lunar calendar, the date of Mother’s Day changes too.

In other countries like the US, the day wasn’t based on religious tradition, and is specifically referred to as Mother’s Day.

It became an official US holiday in 1914 when then President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as a day of ‘public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.’

More: Family

The campaign for a national observance was started in 1908 by West Virginia activist, Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for a holiday in honour of her mother, who was a community activist.

The idea was first planted by suffragist Julia Ward Howe in 1872 who suggested the holiday as a chance to unite women.

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