Mother's Day is an annual celebration honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In the United States, it is observed on the second Sunday of May each year. For example, in 2025, Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 11
. The modern Mother's Day holiday in the U.S. was established by Anna Jarvis, who organized the first official Mother's Day service on May 10, 1908, at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. The day was later declared a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 to honor mothers and their contributions to family and society
. Traditionally, Mother's Day is celebrated by giving mothers cards, gifts, flowers (especially red carnations), and taking them out for meals or preparing special dinners to show appreciation. It is not a federal holiday, so businesses and public services typically operate on normal Sunday schedules, though some states like Arizona recognize it as a state holiday
. Internationally, Mother's Day is celebrated on various dates with different origins, but the American tradition of the second Sunday in May is widely recognized around the world
