Mexico and the United States agree on this much: May is the right time to celebrate moms. But they usually disagree on which day to throw the party.
Mexico celebrates Mother's Day every May 10, while in the U.S. the cake is cut on the second Sunday in May, which falls on May 14 this year.
In the U.S., the origin of Mother’s Day can be traced to the early 1900s after Anna Jarvis began commemorating her own mother, who had died in 1905. Then-President Woodrow Wilson officially declared Mother's Day a national holiday in 1914.
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But why does Mexico celebrate it on a different date? According to the Mexican government, the origin of Día de las Madres in Mexico can be traced back to 1913, when the wife of a Methodist priest found a magazine where the celebration was discussed and decided to take up the idea.
According to officials, May was chosen in Mexico because it is the month of the Virgin Mary and because in the past the 10th of every month was “payday” in Mexico, as opposed to every 15th, as it is today. The 10th was chosen so Mexican families would always have money to spend on the celebration.
Mexico was also the first Latin American country to officially recognize Mother's Day as a federal holiday. The government built a sculpture in Mexico City on May 10, 1949, to celebrate all mothers.
Does Mexico Celebrate Mother’s Day the Same as the US?
As in the U.S., Mother’s Day in Mexico is all about mom. It is a day when mothers get showered with gifts, and spend time with relatives.
Unlike in the U.S. however, Mother's Day in Mexico usually starts early in the morning, when families tend to host serenades for the matriarch themselves or even hire mariachi bands or trios if they can afford it.
As in America, Mother's Day lunch or dinner at a restaurant is also common in Mexico. The festivity often includes traditional Mexican dishes such as tacos, mole, enchiladas, quesadillas, and barbacoa.
