In the radiant month of May, on the sun-soaked second Sunday, Americans come together to honor and celebrate Mother’s Day. Let’s be honest, moms are the backbone of the family. They work tirelessly and selflessly, often without much recognition for their efforts.
But they do it all with love, grace, and unwavering pride. It’s only fitting that they be showered with love and pampering on their special day. Mother’s Day, though not always a recognized holiday in the United States, has now become a day where Americans go above and beyond to show appreciation for their moms. And there are some fascinating facts about this holiday that you may not know.
Whether you’re treating your mom to a meal at her favorite restaurant or hosting a family gathering, surprise everyone with these 25 fun facts about Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day officially became a national holiday in the U.S. in 1914, signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. It falls on the second Sunday of May each year, and in 2026, Mother’s Day will be celebrated on May 10. Over 100 countries worldwide also celebrate Mother’s Day on varying dates.
Americans go all out for Mother’s Day, spending over $3 billion on flowers and plants alone. In fact, Mother’s Day makes up 26% of all holiday purchases for flower shops and florists. More phone calls are made on Mother’s Day than on any other day, with approximately 122 million calls being placed.
The founder of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, actually came to dislike the commercialization of the holiday in the U.S. She organized protests and lawsuits, feeling that the true meaning of the day had been lost. Despite this, Americans still spend $1.1 billion on Mother’s Day cards.
Mother’s Day is one of the most popular days for church services and dining out in the U.S. On average, Americans spend more on Mother’s Day than they do on Father’s Day. The longest recorded pregnancy lasted 375 days, and the sound of a mother’s voice has been shown to lower a child’s cortisol levels.
There are over 2 billion mothers globally, and the words “mom,” “ma,” and “mama” are universal first sounds for babies. The average mother will have changed approximately 7,300 diapers by the time her child is two and a half years old. Celebrations of motherhood date back to Ancient Greece, and the oldest mother to give birth was 74 years old.
One of the most common Mother’s Day gifts includes cards, flowers, jewelry, spa visits, and family experiences. Approximately 385,000 babies are born every day, and the heaviest baby ever born weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces. In recent years, Americans have spent over $35 billion on Mother’s Day.
A study published in 2020 found that pregnant mothers of girls were more likely to experience nausea than mothers of boys. Mother’s Day is truly a day to celebrate the incredible women who have shaped us and nurtured us with love. Let’s make sure it’s a day truly worthy of the amazing moms in our lives.
Peace Nero is a writer and blogger who loves to explore different topics of self-development. She shares her personal experiences in order to help people discover their true purpose in life.