What Mother’s Day is

The US and much of the world keep Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May, a date established by Anna Jarvis in 1914.

The UK and Ireland instead keep Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, which is a different holiday with a different origin.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date is set by a weekday rule rather than a fixed number, so it lands on a different date each year within a known window.

It is grouped here under Global, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.