10 Mother’s Day Facts To Love and Respect

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10 Mother’s Day Facts To Love and Respect

There are millions of reasons to love your mum all year round. So, what's the big deal with Mother's Day? 

Mothers work really hard and deserve thanks and a proper break! Of course, this should happen every day but it's very common all around the world to make an extra big fuss on Mother’s Day.

Read these 10 amazing facts to find out:

1. Mother's Day Back In Time
Mother's Day isn't a recent thing, in fact, it dates back to ancient Greece, where people honoured Rhea, the mother of gods. The Romans celebrated a similar festival called Hilaria. There's just something natural about paying your respects to mums - wherever you are in the world or at whatever point in history. Seeing as they gave birth to us, it's only fair!

2. Modern Mother's Day
The modern version of Mother's Day was founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908 in the United States. She wanted to honour her mother's work as a peace activist. She felt her mum didn't get the respect she deserved and wanted to do something to change that! Starting Mother’s Day might be the best Mother’s Day gift ever!

3. It Goes Official
Mother's Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation marking the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. It's celebrated on a different day in the UK, on the last Sunday in March. The date changes all over the world!

4. Everyone loves a card
Approximately 113 million cards are exchanged on Mother's Day in the U.S. alone, making it the third-largest card-sending holiday after Christmas and Valentine's Day. In the UK Mother's Day is worth a whopping £1.6 BILLION in cards, boxes of chocolates and gifts. There's a lot of money in mums but remember, the best cards are always homemade!

5. Don't forget to call
Mother's Day sees the highest number of phone calls made in a single day. On this day, phone traffic can spike by up to 37%! On other occasions the family all meet up in person and of course birthdays are spread through the year. So don't forget to ring your mum on Mother's Day!

6. Everyone loves flowers
Around one-quarter of all the flowers purchased throughout the year are bought for Mother's Day. Carnations are a traditional favourite because Anna Jarvis chose them as the symbol for the holiday. Some flowers are less common - like roses, which are usually given for Valentine's Day. But all flowers are good though, and it really depends on the mother you're giving it to!

7. Breakfast in Bed
A popular tradition in the West is to serve mothers breakfast in bed. This is a simple thing to do but it shows appreciation and gives mums a break from their daily routines. But NEWSFLASH, you can give your mum a break throughout the rest of the year too!

8. The World's Most Expensive Gift
If you want a step up from breakfast in bed, you could try the $48 million diamond, given to a mom by her son in Hong Kong. It was the most expensive Mother’s Day gift ever recorded! This is going to take some beating.

9. Cake Time
In many countries, baking a special cake is a Mother's Day tradition. In France, "Fête des Mères" is often celebrated with cakes shaped like flowers. In the UK, a traditional one is the Simnel cake, a fruit cake with a layer of marzipan. Simnel cakes are pretty rare these days, but they were originally linked to Mothering Sunday. So, if you want to really make a good impression this Mother’s Day, bake a Simnel cake!

10. Mother's Day in Space
Astronauts have celebrated Mother's Day in space, sending soppy messages to their mothers back on Earth. In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield played a song for his mum from the International Space Station. It just goes to show, even if you're whizzing through a vacuum at thousands of miles an hour, you still have time for your mum! Zero gravity is no excuse!