Is Mother's Day this weekend? Here is when Mother's Day 2026 happens

• Mother's Day in 2026 will be celebrated on Sunday, May 10. Mother's Day is always observed on the second Sunday of May in the United States.
• The holiday was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.
• While many countries celebrate on the second Sunday in May, others including England and India have different dates and traditions.

It's finally May after rounds of April showers, which means Mother's Day is right around the corner. Is it this weekend? When is Mother's Day 2026? Do you still have time to plan the perfect day and buy that special gift to celebrate your mom?

Here's when to plan and celebrate your mom or maternal figure in your life. 

Is Mother's Day this weekend? When is Mother's Day 2026?

Mother's Day 2026 will fall on Sunday, May 10, according to Farmers' Almanac. It falls on the second Sunday of May every year.

When did Mother’s Day start? When did it become a national holiday?

Mother's Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914, according to History.

Why did Mother’s Day start?

Mother’s Day is a special day to recognize and appreciate mothers and other maternal figures' efforts to look after our families and us. But do we know why this special holiday started?

Anna Jarvis, the activist who created Mother’s Day, was a devoted daughter and appreciated her mother very much, but she was often disappointed to find grown children not doing the same with their mothers, according to Farmers' Almanac.

Jarvis created Mother’s Day after her mother died in 1905. As Jarvis grieved, she asked her friends to join her at church to commemorate the anniversary of her mother’s death. In 1907, Jarvis organized a Mother’s Day service at the church, and she donated carnations — her mother’s favorite flower — to every mother in the congregation. 

Jarvis worked hard to create Mother’s Day, writing letters to churches, politicians, and city leaders, and eventually, a resolution was passed in Congress, dedicating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. 

Where is Mother's Day celebrated around the world?

Like the United States, Japan honors mothers and maternal figures on the second Sunday of May each year, according to Scholastic. England and France choose other spring Sundays to honor their mothers, while India celebrates maternal figures during a 10-day fall festival each year.

Did Mother's Day come before Father's Day?

Yes, Mother's Day was established before Father's Day. The holiday honoring moms and maternal figures became an official holiday in 1914, and while Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of Father's Day in 1916, it wasn't until 1966 that Lyndon B. Johnson declared it a commemorative day at the federal level, according to the State Department.