• Courtney Bruce of netball team West Coast Fever presents teammate Jhaniele Fowler with a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day after winning their game against the Collingwood Magpies on May 8, in Perth, Australia. Getty Images
    Courtney Bruce of netball team West Coast Fever presents teammate Jhaniele Fowler with a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day after winning their game against the Collingwood Magpies on May 8, in Perth, Australia. Getty Images
  • US first lady Jill Biden arrives at an airport in Bratislava, Slovakia, May 7 to spend Mother's Day weekend there. EPA
    US first lady Jill Biden arrives at an airport in Bratislava, Slovakia, May 7 to spend Mother's Day weekend there. EPA
  • US first lady Jill Biden at the airport in Bratislava, Slovakia. EPA
    US first lady Jill Biden at the airport in Bratislava, Slovakia. EPA
  • US first lady Jill Biden speaks to Ukrainian refugee mothers, including Svitlana Gollyak, left, at the 'Uruguay' Gymnasium School in Bucharest, Romania, on May 7. EPA
    US first lady Jill Biden speaks to Ukrainian refugee mothers, including Svitlana Gollyak, left, at the 'Uruguay' Gymnasium School in Bucharest, Romania, on May 7. EPA
  • US first lady Jill Biden with Carmen Iohannis, wife of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, in a meeting with Ukrainian refugee mothers and teachers. EPA
    US first lady Jill Biden with Carmen Iohannis, wife of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, in a meeting with Ukrainian refugee mothers and teachers. EPA
  • Hollywood stars Lea Thompson, Robin Bronk, Madchen Amick, Vonda Giambrone (Sean Giambrone's Mother), Frances Fisher, Lisa Precious, Niecy Nash, Alyssa Milano, Yolonda Ross and Caterina Scorsone at a Mother's Day charity event on Friday, May 6, in Santa Monica, California. AP
    Hollywood stars Lea Thompson, Robin Bronk, Madchen Amick, Vonda Giambrone (Sean Giambrone's Mother), Frances Fisher, Lisa Precious, Niecy Nash, Alyssa Milano, Yolonda Ross and Caterina Scorsone at a Mother's Day charity event on Friday, May 6, in Santa Monica, California. AP
  • People gather for a rent relief rally at Governor Kathy Hochul's New York City office on May 6. Community activists were joined by mothers and grandmothers while holding flowers ahead of Mother's Day in the US this weekend. Getty Images / AFP
    People gather for a rent relief rally at Governor Kathy Hochul's New York City office on May 6. Community activists were joined by mothers and grandmothers while holding flowers ahead of Mother's Day in the US this weekend. Getty Images / AFP

Mother's Day 2022: why is it celebrated on different dates around the world?


Sophie Prideaux
  • English
  • Arabic

Mothers are worth celebrating every day. But around the world, one day a year is dedicated to showing mothers just how much they are loved and appreciated.

However, while countries around the world celebrate Mother’s Day, many do so on a different date.

The UAE, Mother's Day is marked on March 21, the official start of spring, while Sunday, May 8, is the day for countries such as the US and India, where they celebrate every year on the second Sunday in May.

So why is Mother’s Day celebrated differently across the world and where did the tradition begin?

Early origins

Motherhood has been celebrated for centuries, with the ancient Greeks and Romans each holding festivals dedicated to honouring the mother goddesses, Rhea and Cybele, who played a vital role in their culture and beliefs.

But the earliest celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it today can be traced to the early Christian festival known as Mothering Sunday, which has been marked since the 8th century.

Celebrated on the fourth Sunday during Lent, the celebration was initially intended to encourage people to return to their local or “mother” church for a special yearly service. However, over the centuries, the meaning evolved to incorporate the celebration of family, and specifically mothers.

While the religious aspect of Mother’s Day, for the most part, has been lost, the tradition of celebrating the day on the fourth Sunday during Lent has remained in the UK and Ireland. While the date changes each year, dictated by paschal full moon — the first full moon on or after the spring equinox — Mother’s Day is usually celebrated in March.

The earliest celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it today can be traced to the early Christian festival known as Mothering Sunday
The earliest celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it today can be traced to the early Christian festival known as Mothering Sunday

Mother’s Day in the US

The incarnation of Mother’s Day in the US came about in the early 20th century, fronted by social activist Anna Jarvis. Her mother had always expressed a desire to have a day celebrating motherhood, and after she died, Jarvis went about realising her dream. In 1908, three years after her mother’s death, Jarvis held the first official memorial service to honour her own and all mothers, at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which is now home to the International Mother’s Day shrine.

The day became an annual celebration and quickly spread across the US, becoming an official holiday in 1914, held annually on the second Sunday of May.

However, in the years that followed, Jarvis worked to distance herself from the celebration, criticising the commercialisation of the holiday, stating publicly that this was never her intention in establishing the day.

None-the-less, the celebration was adopted in many other parts of the English-speaking world, which followed the US’s lead in marking Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. Today, the holiday is celebrated on the same day in Australia and Canada, as well as in parts of Europe including Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Ukraine.

Mother’s Day in the Middle East

Unlike in the other parts of the world, Mother’s Day in the Arab world is not always celebrated on a Sunday. The holiday was officially introduced in Egypt in 1956 by journalist Mustafa Amin, who chose the first day of spring, March 21, as the annual day of celebration.

The day was chosen as, much like in ancient Greece, the ancient Egyptians used to celebrate mothers with boats full of flowers, which was usually done at the start of spring as a symbol of new life.

After becoming an official holiday in Egypt, much of the rest of the Arab world also adopted the celebration. This year, Mother’s Day was marked on March 21.

Other Mother’s Day traditions — from China to Spain

Indonesians celebrate Mother's Day on December 22. Reuters
Indonesians celebrate Mother's Day on December 22. Reuters

While China also usually celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May, the meaning is slightly different. The day was first introduced in 1997 as a way to honour poor mothers throughout the country, and especially those in rural areas.

In Thailand, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on August 12, on the birthday of the current queen, Sirikit.

In Ethiopia, mothers are celebrated in a multi-day festival known as Antrosht, where families come together in the autumn to sing songs and eat a large feast.

Spain and the Spanish-speaking world mark Mother’s Day on the first Sunday of May. The celebration is thought to be held in May as, according to Catholicism, it is the month dedicated to celebrating the Virgin Mary.

Indonesian Mother's Day is celebrated each year on December 22. The celebration was made an official holiday by president Sukarno in 1953, marking the 25th anniversary of the Indonesian Women Congress, first held in 1928.

This article was originally published in March 2022

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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
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  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions

Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year

2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

'Nightmare Alley'

Director:Guillermo del Toro

Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara

Rating: 3/5

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

How to avoid crypto fraud
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Updated: May 08, 2022, 8:44 AM