Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance2026 · Date · History · Messages
36 U.S.C. §117 designates the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day and requests a presidential proclamation. Library of Congress sources trace the national campaign to Anna Jarvis and the 1914 federal designation; this Title 36 observance is kept separate from the Title 5 list of federal employee legal public holidays.
About Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance
Mother’s Day in the United States is a federal statutory observance on the second Sunday in May under 36 U.S.C. §117.
The statute also requests a presidential proclamation, while the history of the national observance is closely associated with Anna Jarvis’s campaign and the 1914 congressional designation.
Why Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance matters
The federal statute recognizes a national observance, but Mother’s Day is not one of the legal public holidays listed in 5 U.S.C. §6103 for federal employee pay-and-leave purposes.
People may celebrate a mother or mother figure, remember someone who has died, recognize caregiving relationships, or opt out. The guide does not assume a living mother, a conventional family structure or a positive relationship.
History of Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance
Anna Jarvis organized a memorial observance for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, and continued campaigning for broader recognition.
On May 8, 1914, Congress approved a joint resolution establishing the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day; President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation the next day.
The first national observance under the 1914 federal action fell on May 10, 1914.
The modern positive-law codification appears at 36 U.S.C. §117; its Title 36 status should not be confused with the Title 5 federal employee holiday list.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Anna Jarvis memorial Mother’s Day observance in Grafton, West Virginia
Jarvis’s 1908 memorial observance and subsequent campaign preceded the 1914 national federal designation.
Anna Jarvis
Library of Congress sources credit Anna Jarvis with conceiving and leading the campaign that resulted in a national day honoring mothers.
United States Congress
Joint Resolution of May 8, 1914 (Public Resolution 25, 38 Stat. 770)
First documented observance
Library of Congress material identifies May 10, 1914 as the first national celebration following the 1914 congressional action.
Recodified the Mother’s Day provision in modern Title 36 without changing the second-Sunday-in-May designation.
United States Congress · Public Law 105-225 / positive-law codification of Title 36
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
Mother’s Day
How to Observe Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance
Choose a message, visit, call or act of service only if it fits the relationship involved.
Make room for remembrance when a mother or mother figure has died.
Recognize adoptive, foster, step, chosen-family or other caregiving relationships without treating one family structure as universal.
If the day is difficult or unwelcome, opting out is also a reasonable way to handle it.
Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance Facts
The statutory date is the second Sunday in May.
The federal designation traces to a May 8, 1914 joint resolution.
Anna Jarvis’s campaign helped bring the observance to national attention.
The first national observance after the 1914 federal action was May 10, 1914.
Mother’s Day is a Title 36 observance, not one of the legal public holidays enumerated in 5 U.S.C. §6103.
Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance Messages
Wishing you a gentle Mother’s Day in whatever way fits your circumstances.
May the day make space for both joyful and complicated family experiences.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
36 U.S.C. §117
5 U.S.C. §6103
Library of Congress — Mother’s Day historical collections
Library of Congress — Mother’s Day research guide and timeline (opens in a new tab)
National Library History
Library of Congress — Today in History, May 9 (opens in a new tab)
National Library History
U.S. Code / GPO — 36 U.S.C. §117 Mother’s Day (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
U.S. Code — 5 U.S.C. §6103 legal public holidays (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance?
Second Sunday in May The documented recurrence rule is: Second Sunday in May.
Does Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance fall on the same date every year?
It follows a recurring calendar rule, so the Gregorian date can change from year to year.
Is Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as United States / federal statutory observance under 36 U.S.C. §117. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance?
The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Anna Jarvis.
Is Mother’s Day — United States statutory observance international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / federal statutory observance under 36 U.S.C. §117.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-25.
When is Mother’s Day in the United States?
Federal law designates the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
Is Mother’s Day a federal employee holiday?
It is a federal statutory observance under Title 36, but it is not listed among the legal public holidays in 5 U.S.C. §6103 for federal employee pay-and-leave purposes.
Who is associated with the U.S. Mother’s Day campaign?
Library of Congress sources credit Anna Jarvis with the campaign that led to national recognition.
Do I have to celebrate Mother’s Day?
No. Celebration, remembrance, recognizing another caregiver or opting out can all fit different family circumstances.
Other observances on May 9
These observances are also listed on May 9, 2027.
Europe Day
European Union and European Commission
Liberation Day
Official Liberation Day Guernsey material verifies annual May 9 observance, current States of Guernsey Sport and Culture management and the 1945 liberation context.
National Infertility Survival Day
A New York Senate resolution identifies Beverly Barna as the creator and states that National Infertility Survival Day is observed each year on the Sunday prior to Mother’s Day.
National Public Gardens Day
The American Public Gardens Association documents National Public Gardens Day as an annual tradition on the Friday preceding Mother’s Day weekend and records its inauguration in 2009.
Victory Day
The 8 May 1945 Soviet decree preserved by the Presidential Library declared 9 May the Victory holiday; current Russian labour-law material lists 9 May as a non-working public holiday.