Mothers have been honored and revered for thousands of years, and celebrations and festivals honoring them have been recorded as far back as ancient Greece. In ancient Rome, a ceremony honoring the god Juno was celebrated in early spring with the bestowing of gifts on the mother. In the United Kingdom, 'Mother's Sunday' has ancient pagan roots tied to spring and rejuvenation. Mother's Day as we know it in the U.S. and Canada began at the turn of the 20th Century in a small West Virginia town originally as a campaign for mother's against the Civil War.
 
Today, Mother's Day is celebrated in over 40 countries throughout the world. Though most go along with the U.S. celebration date, which is the second Sunday in May, there are many different dates for various countries. Naturally, every country will have it's own unique way of honoring their mothers, and here are a few of the Mother's Day traditions from around the world.
 
INDIA: Mother's Day in India occurs during the ten days in October. At this time, the Hindu festival of Durga Puja honors the goddess Durga. Durga is known as the goddess of protection, and commonly known as the 'universal mother', so it's only appropriate that Indians honor motherhood during this auspicious time. Indian children will bestow traditional gifts of flowers and sweets on their mom's, and older children will extend an invitation to a meal in order to give their mother a break from the kitchen.
 
YOUGOSLAVIA: Yugoslavian children honor their mother's by sneaking into her bedroom at night and tying her with scarves to her bed. When she awakes in the morning, she promises to tell the location of small presents she has hidden in order to be untied.
 
JAPAN: On Mother's Day in Japan, children draw a picture of their mother titled, “My Mommy”. The pictures are then entered into local competitions, with the winning pictures from each regions being sent on exhibitions throughout the country.
 
SWEDEN: A few days before Mother's Day, small plastic flowers are sold throughout the country. Children buy these flowers for their mother's for a few pennies. After the holiday, the money made form the sale of these flowers is donated to mother's with many children so that they may go on vacation.
 
MEXICO: Mother's Day is Mexico is more widely celebrated than in the rest of North America. Schools, churches, and civic groups all sponsor community events honoring mothers, and schools may present pageants honoring mom. It is tradition for Mexican sons and daughters to spend Mother's Day Eve at their mother's home, where they will share a meal. The next day, the entire family will attend a special Mother's Day mass.
 
            Mother's Day is a day that is meant to express the love and devotion of a child towards their mother. Though every country, and in fact every child, has a different perception of the holiday, the tradition of showing appreciation by doing something special for the mother transcends all cultures.