This year Ukraine celebrates Mother's Day on May 13

Unlike Women's Day on March 8, only mothers and pregnant women are congratulated on this day. Traditionally, people thank their mothers for their self-sacrifice and love, give flowers and greeting cards.

The holiday was established in the United States. At first it was the idea of pacifists - to celebrate this day as the day of the unity of mothers in the struggle for peace. But this concept was not widely supported either in the United States or in other countries. In 1907, American Anna Jarvis following the death of her mother initiated to establish Mother's Day first as a U.S. national holiday and then later as an international holiday. The first state to recognize Mother’s Day was West Virginia in 1910. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day in 1914. After World War I, Mother's Day began to be celebrated in some European countries as well. Today Mother's Day is celebrated in 85 countries around the world.

Ukrainians have also joined the celebration of Mother's Day, because in Ukraine a woman has been always associated with her family and played a huge role in bringing up children. Among the Ukrainian community, Mother's Day was first held by the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada in 1928. The next year, the holiday was celebrated in Lviv. In 1929, the Ukrainian Women's Association initiated the celebration of Mother's Day in Ternopil region, and since then it was widely celebrated. However, the holiday was banned after the Soviet regime was established. In 1990, the celebration of this day returned to Ukraine thanks to the efforts of civic organizations, in particular the Ukrainian Women's Association. Since 1999, Mother's Day has received official status.

Ukrinform congratulates all mothers on Mother's Day!

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