Google is marking Arab Mother's Day with a special Google Doodle that allows users to create their own virtual cards.
Anyone using the search engine in the Middle East and North Africa region on Sunday will have the option to test out the interactive feature, and create a greeting card to mark Mother's Day.
Much like traditional card crafting, Google’s online option allows users to stick everyday items such as pasta shells and buttons on to the front of a card, alongside a personalised message, which can then be sent to their mothers via email or social media.
Arab Mother’s Day is celebrated each year on the first day of spring, a tradition started in Egypt in 1957 by journalist Mustafa Amin. He first mentioned the idea in a 1943 book, and was inspired to introduce a day to celebrate mothers after hearing the story of a woman who devoted her life to raising her son, only for him to marry and leave her alone.
Amin wrote to then-president Gamal Abdel Nasser to request the day be made official following his campaign, leading to the first official Egyptian Mother’s Day on March 21, 1957. The idea was slowly adopted by a number of other countries across the Arab world.
Mother’s Day is celebrated at different times around the world, depending on which country you live in. In Australia, the US and Canada, for example, Mother’s Day is marked each year on the second Sunday of May.
In the UK, it is exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday.
Try the Google Doodle tool yourself here.
See other Google Doodles made for the Mena region:
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A Google Doodle celebrating Egyptian actress Karima Mokhtar's 89th birthday. All images: Google -
Egyptian writer Ihsan Abdel Quddous -
Kuwaiti actor and comedian Abdulhussain Abdulredha's 83rd birthday -
UAE National Day 2022 Google Doodle. -
Ousha Al Suwaidi was a poetess from the United Arab Emirates. -
Prof. Hamed Abdel Fattah Goher was an Egyptian oceanographer, scientist and TV presenter. -
Tunisia's Tawhida Ben Cheikh was a pioneer in women's medicine. -
Google Doodle of Egyptian actor and director Nour El-Sherif honours him on what would have been his 75th birthday. -
Google celebrates Syrian-Egyptian composer and actor Farid Al Atrash with a Google Doodle to mark what would have been his 110th birthday. -
Children's author Notaila Rashed is honoured with a special Google Doodle to mark her 86th birthday. -
Egyptian actress, producer, writer and filmmaker Bahiga Hafez was born 112 years ago, on August 4. -
The Google Doodle for January 20, 2020, celebrates Mufidah Abdul Rahman, Egypt's first female lawyer. -
A Google Doodle on June 10, 2019, celebrates Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Towfik. -
Google Doodle honours Persian mathematician, poet and astronomer Omar Khayyam on what would have been his 971st birthday. -
Mary Mounib was a renowned actress in the Egyptian cinema scene. Her 114th birthday is marked in a Google Doodle on February 11, 2019. -
Egyptian poet Gamila El Alaily is honoured in a Google Doodle on March 20, 2019. -
Syrian artist Louay Kayali is the subject of Google's doodle on January 20, 2019. -
Egyptian-French singer and actress Dalida is honoured on her birthday by Google Doodle, on January 17, 2019. -
Egyptian actress Hind Rostom is celebrated in a Google Doodle on her 87th birthday, on November 12, 2018. -
Ibn Sina, one of the greatest thinkers of Islam's golden age, is honoured on August 7, 2018. -
A Google Doodle honours Saudi musician Talal Maddah on what would have been his 78th birthday, on August 5, 2018. -
A Google Doodle gif marks Egyptian actor Omar Sharif's birthday on April 10, 2018. -
Egyptian poet Farouk Shousha is honoured by Google on what would have been his 82nd birthday, on January 9, 2018. -
Google celebrates Lebanese singer Sabah's 90th birthday on November 10, 2017. -
Egyptian painter Inji Aflatoun's Google Doodle pays homage to her style of bold brushstrokes. -
Google celebrates the birthday of Algerian painter Mohammed Khadda, who was born on March 14, 1930. -
Lebanese singer-songwriter Melham Barakat is honoured by Google on his birthday.
