Mother's Day deals at Expo 2020 Dubai: from free desserts to massages

The world's fair is honouring mums on March 21 to coincide with Arab Mother's Day

Mothers are being celebrated on Arab Mother's Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on March 21, 2022. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Around the world, Mother's Day is celebrated on different dates, and in the UAE, it falls on March 21.

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 as the annual day of celebration.

Each year, restaurants, spas, shops and more across the country honour mums with discounts, deals, special treatments and tasty dishes.

And 2022 is no exception, particularly at Expo 2020 Dubai, which is in its final weeks, where a number of events are taking place to celebrate mothers.

For a start, all visitors can get their special Mother's Day stamp in their 50-page Expo passport at Visitor Centres and the Women's Pavilion.

Between 9.30am and 10.30am on Monday, there will be a special Mother's Day version of the yoga session at Surreal, the water feature. It's open to women only and participants can register via the Expo 2020 Dubai app.

Time for a paddle in a giant water installation near the Al Wasl Plaza at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National.

But the stone walls can be tricky to climb. Victor Besa / The National.

Visitors walk in the Expo 2020 Dubai Surreal waterfall area. Victor Besa / The National.

Visitors wait for walls of water to tumble from four storeys high at Surreal, an installation created for Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National.

Surreal, a ring of waterfalls, has become a must-see feature of the world's fair. Victor Besa / The National.

A water feature at Expo 2020 Dubai. Waves crashing down the walls in the circular arena can help to keep visitors cool. James Langton / The National

Mark Fuller, chief executive of Los Angeles firm WET, watches Surreal, a water feature designed by his company. AP Photo

Composer Ramin Djawadi wrote an original score, Surreal, for the Expo 2020 Dubai water feature. It was recorded with a live orchestra in London. Photo: WET

The music for the falls was created by Djawadi, a Game of Thrones composer and two-time Emmy award winner. Photo: WET

Children enjoy the Expo 2020 Dubai water feature. Victor Besa / The National.

The walls are streaked with colour at night. Photo: WET

The movement of the waves is choreographed to orchestral music specially recorded for the Expo 2020 Dubai installation. Photo: WET

The falls were designed by WET, a Los Angeles company that created the Burj Khalifa fountains. Photo: WET

Stone spires at the centre of the water ring shoot flames out at night. Photo: WET

A view of the new water feature by night. Photo: WET

The walls are streaked with colour at night. Photo: WET

Viewing platforms give spectators a sense of the waterfalls, which plunge four storeys. Photo: WET

Water and fire are two elements at the heart of the Surreal installation at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: WET

Early sketches show how the artists conceptualised the water installation at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: WET

Full-size models were built from wood, much like in a movie set, at WET's testing laboratory in California. Photo: WET

The models helped designers to tell which changes needed to be made to the structure. Photo: WET

The wood frame of one model. Photo: WET

Free desserts will also be on offer throughout the day at a number of venues, including Alkebulan African Dining Hall, Mangrove Philippines Cuisine, Cafe Milano, Long Chim, The National and Scarpetta, to name a few.

At Nexus for People & Planet, located in the Opportunity District, there's a pampering session available between 2.30pm and 6pm. Mums can take part in various wellness activities, including a 15 to 20-minute massage, sound therapy, a yoga session and nail painting. Visitors can register via the Expo website.

The Mastercard Cube, near Jubilee Park, is handing out free coffee and drinks on the terrace, as well as flowers and balloons, while the nearby Kiehl's pop-up store is giving free gifts with every purchase of Dh595 or more.

The origins of Mother's Day

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.

The earliest celebration of Mother’s Day as we know it today can be traced to the early Christian festival known as Mothering Sunday. Photo: Ijaz Rafi/Unsplash

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.