- Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 12, in 2024.
- Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day in her hometown in 1908 to honor her late mother, whose charitable work focused on lowering infant mortality rates through education.
- In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day a national holiday, with the date falling on the second Sunday in May.
With the arrival of May, Mom should be at the top of your mind with her special holiday coming up! But when is Mother's Day anyway in 2024 in the USA anyway? It is indeed always on a Sunday, and we've got all the save the date information you'll need, plus the history of how the celebration go started in the first place. (And don't forget deal ole dad either; we're also sure to answer: When is Father's Day 2024? Plus, if you are wondering when Mother's Day is in the UK, Mothering Sunday is celebrated three weeks before Easter each year.)
As Mom's big day approaches, you'll want to think ahead on Mother's Day activities and events to honor her important role in your life, perhaps with a delicious brunch spread to share with those she loves most. You can also celebrate her by selecting a Mother's Day gift she'll love complete with a thoughtful Mother's Day messages written by hand inside a card, or by taking the DIY route with a handmade Mother's Day craft.
And now for all you need to know about Mother's Day this year...
When is Mother's Day?
This year, Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Although the date changes year-to-year, Mother's Day is always held on the second Sunday of May—similarly to how Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November.
Why do we celebrate Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis, an activist who lived from 1864 to 1948, is credited with being the "mother" of Mother's Day. (Although, interestingly enough, she never had any children of her own.)
Anna's mother, Anne Jarvis, hosted clubs for moms in the 1850s to help them learn to properly care for their children in order to lower the infant mortality rate, according to National Geographic. After Anne's passing in 1905, Anna was determined to honor her mother's legacy. On May 10, 1908, Anna organized the first Mother's Day–related function in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia.
Anna's hard work to pay tribute to her late mother was so impressive that President Woodrow Wilson officially declared Mother's Day a national holiday in 1914. (He was also the one who decided it should fall on the second Sunday in May.)
Unfortunately, Anna's dream of cherishing her mother and what she believed in didn't last long. Soon, Mother's Day became commercialized by florists, greeting card vendors, and candy companies—or, as Anna preferred to call them, "schemers" and "profiteers," according to BuzzFeed. Despite her valiant efforts to try and recapture the true meaning of Mother's Day, the day was completely transformed from giving back to charity to giving gifts. A Reader's Digest reporter captured Anna's disappointment with the alteration and noted: "[Anna] told me, with terrible bitterness, that she was sorry she ever started Mother’s Day," according to BuzzFeed.
Despite her disapproval of what Mother's Day has become, there is a part of the holiday she might accept: the gifting of bouquets of flowers. National Geographic reports that the white carnation has always been the official bloom of the holiday. Apparently, it was Anne's favorite flower.
Jennifer Aldrich was the editorial assistant for CountryLiving.com.
