When Is Mother's Day?

UK Mother's Day (properly called Mothering Sunday) falls on Sunday 15 March 2026. In 2027 it lands on Sunday 14 March 2027. The UK date is always the fourth Sunday of Lent, which means it moves with Easter and lands somewhere between early March and early April every year.

US Mother's Day falls on Sunday 10 May 2026. It's always the second Sunday in May, every year, so it doesn't move much: somewhere between 8 and 14 May. Australia, Canada, India, China, Japan and most of the rest of the world follow the May date; the UK and Ireland are the major outliers with the March one.

Mothering Sunday is much older than the American invention. It dates back to a 16th-century Christian tradition where servants and apprentices were given the day off to return to their 'mother church' (the cathedral or main parish where they were baptised). Over time it became a day to visit one's actual mother as well, and the religious aspect mostly faded.

The American version was invented in 1908 by Anna Jarvis as a memorial to her own mother and was federally recognised in 1914. When the holiday spread internationally through the 20th century, most countries adopted the American May date. The UK's March date stuck because Mothering Sunday already existed as a tradition, even if commercial Mother's Day later layered on top of it.

In the UK, the most common gestures are flowers (typically delivered the day before to avoid Sunday delivery issues), a card, breakfast in bed, lunch out, or a phone call. Garden centres and florists post their busiest single weekend of the year. Restaurant lunchtime bookings spike enormously; if you want a Sunday roast for Mother's Day, book by mid-February at the latest.

In the US, brunch is the dominant tradition; second-Sunday-in-May restaurants are the busiest brunch services of the year by a clear margin. Flowers, cards, and chocolates feature on both sides of the Atlantic. Pair this with the [Mother's Day Gift Idea Generator](/mothers-day-gift-idea-generator) if you're stuck for ideas.

There's no single right way to handle these. Many people send a card to a stepmother as a separate gesture, or split flowers between two households. For people whose mother has died, the day can be hard, and it's increasingly common to acknowledge it on social media as a day of remembrance rather than celebration. Charities including Care for the Family and Marie Curie publish guidance on this every year if you're supporting someone through their first Mother's Day after a bereavement.