When Is Mother's Day 2027: Date, Countdown, History & Dates by Country
Table of Contents (8 sections)
Mother's Day never has a fixed date, which is why so many people look it up every spring. The rule is simple once you know it, and it has been the same for more than 100 years. Here is the date for 2027 and the years ahead, how the day began, and how other countries compare.
Mother's Day 2027 is on Sunday, May 9.
In the US it is always the second Sunday in May. That is 186 days from today.
Next year, Mother's Day 2028 is on Sunday, May 14, 2028.
Quick summary
- Date: the second Sunday in May, so always between May 8 and May 14.
- Set by law: federal law names the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
- Not a federal holiday: it is not one of the 11 federal holidays, and it always falls on a Sunday.
- Founder: Anna Jarvis of West Virginia, who held the first official service in 1908.
- Other countries: many use the same Sunday, but the UK and Mexico do not.
How Many Days Until Mother's Day?
Mother's Day 2027 is on Sunday, May 9, 2027. That is 186 days from today.
The countdown uses the clock on your own device, so it is right in every time zone, and it moves to next year's date by itself once the day has passed.
Mother's Day Dates from 2026 to 2036
| Year | Mother's Day (US) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, May 10 (past) |
| 2027 | Sunday, May 9 (next) |
| 2028 | Sunday, May 14 |
| 2029 | Sunday, May 13 |
| 2030 | Sunday, May 12 |
| 2031 | Sunday, May 11 |
| 2032 | Sunday, May 9 |
| 2033 | Sunday, May 8 |
| 2034 | Sunday, May 14 |
| 2035 | Sunday, May 13 |
| 2036 | Sunday, May 11 |
The second Sunday of May can only fall between May 8 and May 14. It next falls on the earliest date, May 8, in 2033, and on the latest date, May 14, in 2028.
Why Is Mother's Day in May?
The modern holiday was the work of Anna Jarvis of West Virginia. Her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, had organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs from 1858 to improve hygiene and cut infant deaths in their community. After her mother died in May 1905, Anna began campaigning for a day to honor all mothers.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1907 | Anna Jarvis holds a small service in her mother's memory at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia. |
| 1908 | The first official Mother's Day service is held at the same church on the second Sunday in May. On the same day, more than 15,000 people gather in Philadelphia to honor mothers. Jarvis has white carnations handed out at the Grafton service, and the flower became a symbol of the day. |
| 1914 | Congress passes a resolution, and on May 9 President Woodrow Wilson issues a proclamation naming the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. |
| 1920s | Jarvis turns against the holiday she created, protesting against florists, card makers and candy companies that she felt had made it too commercial. |
Today the date is written into federal law (36 U.S.C. 117), which also asks the President to call on Americans to fly the US flag on Mother's Day. The President issues a Mother's Day proclamation each year.
Mother's Day or Mothers' Day?
The standard spelling is Mother's Day, with the apostrophe before the s. Anna Jarvis wanted it that way on purpose: a singular possessive, so that each family would honor its own mother rather than mothers in general.
Is Mother's Day a Federal Holiday?
No. It is not one of the 11 federal holidays. It always falls on a Sunday, so there is no extra day off, and banks and post offices keep their normal Sunday hours.
Mother's Day Around the World
Not every country uses the US date. A few common ones:
| Country | When |
|---|---|
| United States, Canada, Australia | Second Sunday in May |
| United Kingdom | Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent (three weeks before Easter Sunday) |
| Mexico | May 10, whatever the day of the week |
If you send a card or a gift abroad, check the local date first. The UK date is linked to Easter, so it can fall in March or early April. Our guide on when Easter falls explains why it moves.
How Americans Celebrate Mother's Day
- Cards and flowers: still the most traditional gifts, along with breakfast in bed made by the kids.
- A family meal: brunch or dinner out, or a meal at home cooked by the rest of the family.
- Church services: many churches mention mothers in Sunday services, as the very first observance did in 1908.
- Remembering mothers who have died: some people wear or place a white flower, the way the first observance honored Ann Reeves Jarvis.
Mark Mother's Day on Your Calendar
Print the May 2027 calendar with Mother's Day already shown, or see every holiday and observance of the year on the USA holidays 2027 page. Any other month is on our printable monthly calendar. Father's Day follows five or six weeks later, as our guide to when Father's Day is explains.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Mother's Day 2027?
Mother's Day 2027 is on Sunday, May 9, 2027. In the US it is always the second Sunday in May.
When is Mother's Day 2028?
Mother's Day 2028 is on Sunday, May 14, 2028.
Is Mother's Day always on a Sunday?
Yes, in the US. It is the second Sunday in May, so it always falls between May 8 and May 14.
Is Mother's Day a federal holiday?
No. It is not one of the 11 federal holidays. It always falls on a Sunday, so there is no extra day off.
Who started Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis of West Virginia. She held the first official Mother's Day service in 1908, and President Woodrow Wilson made it a national observance in 1914.
Is Mother's Day the same date in the UK?
No. The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter, so it usually falls in March.
Why is it spelled Mother's Day and not Mothers' Day?
Anna Jarvis chose the singular possessive so that each family would honor its own mother.
