On Mother's Day, you've probably never questioned the tradition of making heartfelt cards and breakfast-in-bed for Mom. After all, she's done so much for you from birth till now, so why wouldn't you celebrate her to the fullest extent? Instead, ponder the real question at hand: Why does Mother's Day fall when it does?
But before you dive into that, take a second to learn when exactly Mother's Day is. (Having that knowledge will help you better plan your Mother's Day gifts!) Plus, you can't host a Mother's Day brunch party—or even just plan a long phone call—without first choosing a date. So, when is Mother's Day in 2025? And come to think of it, whose idea was it to create this holiday in the first place?
You'll find all the questions answered below, along with a brief history of this day, including its surprising origin story. Get ready for a serious plot twist...
When is Mother's Day in 2025?
In case you didn't know: Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Is this the first time you're hearing of this? Don't sweat it! Unlike other holidays such as Christmas or Halloween, Mother's Day doesn't fall on a specific date every year. Instead of trying to remember it that way, think of it like this: Mother's Day always falls on the second Sunday of May!
Why do we celebrate Mother's Day?
Ah, another great question! The history of Mother's Day is quite sweet! But to meet the "mother" of Mother's Day, you're going to have to travel all the way back in time to 1864—the year when Anna Jarvis was born.
Anna was a determined activist, and to this day, she's credited with "inventing" Mother's Day in an attempt to honor her own mother, Ann Jarvis. Ann—that's Anna's mother—had spent much of her life raising awareness about the infant mortality rate. According to National Geographic, in the 1850s, she began hosting clubs for fellow mothers to teach them to better care for their children and curb those numbers.
When Ann passed away in 1905, Anna decided that a national "Mother's Day" would be a beautiful way to honor these noble efforts. The History Channel notes that she hosted the first-ever Mother's Day function on May 10, 1908 in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, and that it was followed by a similar event in Philadelphia attended by "thousands of people."
As the story goes, President Woodrow Wilson's cabinet eventually got wind of Anna's work, and it was under his guidance that Mother's Day officially became a national holiday in 1914. At that time, it was also decided that the celebration would take place on the second Sunday in May each year.
Of course, Mother's Day as we know it today has very little to do with Anna's initial efforts or her mother's meaningful charity work. Bouquets of flowers and greeting cards were never part of the plan; in fact, Anna called the manufacturers of such products "schemers" and "profiteers," says BuzzFeed, and allegedly told a Reader's Digest reporter that she "was sorry she had ever started Mother's Day."
Technically, though, it's still unclear if the idea of Mother's Day really belonged to the Jarvis women. Julia Ward Howe, the writer behind "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," had promoted a "Mothers' Peace Day" all the way back in 1872 as part of her antiwar efforts.
It's a toss-up, really.
But flowers, greeting cards, and competing historical narratives aside, there's something undeniably beautiful about the idea of setting aside an entire day to pay your respects to the woman who made you, well, you. The heart of the holiday remains special—no matter how much commercialization swirls around it. And that's a fact.
Nitya Rao is the editorial assistant at The Pioneer Woman, covering stories ranging from food, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, news, and more.
