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Mother's Day is fast approaching, with the annual day to celebrate all mums and mother-figures being marked this Sunday, 15 March.
But mums in the US will have to wait a little longer for their messages and gifts. That's because in America, as well as in other countries, including Australia and Italy, they celebrate the occasion in May, rather than in March.
But why is the date different in various nations, and how did Mother's Day come about in the first place?
When is Mother's Day celebrated in the UK?
In the UK, Mother's Day is always celebrated on the fourth Sunday of the Christian festival of Lent - three weeks before Easter Sunday. This year, that is Sunday, 15 March.
The custom began because this was traditionally when those who had moved away for work would return to visit their "mother church" and their own mothers, which is also why we often refer to it as Mothering Sunday.
As the dates of Lent vary each year, so does the date of Mothering Sunday.
As well as the UK, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Nigeria all have the same date for Mother's Day.
Why is it a different date from the US?
In the US, Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. In 2026, it falls on Sunday, 10 May.
According to the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum, the US celebration is rooted in the work of two women, Ann Jarvis and her daughter Anna.
Ann Jarvis had more than a dozen children, but many died of diseases such as diphtheria and measles. She worked in the community to help other mothers and families avoid similar tragedies.
During the Civil War, the Smithsonian says she also organised "a Mother's Friendship Day to bring families from both sides of the war together".
After her death - on the second Sunday of May, 1905 - her daughter Anna set out to establish a national day to honour mothers, holding a memorial in 1908.
In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill officially establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
Interestingly, however, despite originally establishing the day, Jarvis is believed to have disapproved of the subsequent commercialisation of the occasion, which she felt went against its sentimental origins. At one point, she even sought to abolish it.
When do other countries celebrate the day?
Many other countries celebrate Mother's Day at different times of the year.
Australia, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey and Belgium all use the second Sunday in May as the date for celebrating mothers.
However, in Mexico and many parts of Latin America, Mother's Day is celebrated on 10 May each year, with Mexicans marking it via the "Día de las Madres".
In the Middle East, the celebration first started in Egypt in 1956. It is celebrated on 21 March - the first day of spring.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, Mother's Day is always celebrated in August on the birthday of Queen Sirikit, who is honoured as the mother of the nation.
Mother's Day in France is celebrated on the last Sunday of May, unless that day falls on Pentecost (also known as Whitsun), in which case it is moved to the first Sunday of June.
