In Ukraine, Mother's Day is celebrated annually on the second Sunday of May. In 2025, this holiday will fall on May 11.
This day is celebrated in many countries, but the dates may vary. Like in Ukraine, in Poland, mothers are honored on May 26, while in France, Mother's Day is celebrated on the last Saturday of May. Traditionally, children give their mothers flowers, cards, and heartfelt wishes.
Origin of the Holiday
The establishment of Mother's Day began in the 20th century. Prior to that, several activists in the US attempted to create this holiday, but their efforts were not successful.
In the 19th century, activist Ann Jarvis Reeves gave birth to 13 children, but only four survived. The children died due to illnesses and poor sanitary conditions. Ann fought for improvements in these conditions and organized Mother's Day events in labor clubs to raise funds for better health care and sanitation.
After her death, her daughter Anna founded the holiday in 1907 to honor her mother's memory. Her efforts led to the proclamation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 that the second Sunday of May would be a national holiday in honor of all mothers.
Anna Jarvis spent years promoting the holiday while defending it from commercialization.
"This holiday has become overly commercialized in America, – emphasizes history professor Martha Hom’jak. – It is a personal day, born from personal pain".
Mother's Day in Ukraine
According to a presidential decree from 1999, Mother's Day is celebrated in Ukraine on the second Sunday of May.
The initiators of the revival of the holiday were members of the "Union of Ukrainian Women". In the 1930s, they organized events discussing the role of motherhood in society.
In 1939, Mother's Day was abolished in the USSR, and Ukrainians fought for over 50 years to restore it.
"Ukraine needed holidays that emphasized not statehood, but a native environment", says Bohachevska-Hom’jak.
The efforts of the "Union of Ukrainian Women" and other organizations brought the holiday back to a national level in 1999. May was chosen deliberately as it is the month of the Holy Virgin Mary in Christianity.
