By now, Mother’s Day 2025 has become something more than a date on the calendar. Mother’s Day is an occasion for collective pause, recognition, reflection. And behind all the bouquets and brunches also resides the opportunity to peer into the workings of the lives, needs and joys of the the people we call mothers.
Mother’s Day is celebrated in May on the second Sunday of the month. It unites millions of people globally in a brilliant demonstration of gratitude. But this year, maybe we can go farther: to not only honoring mom but also the supporting of her journey — for selfhood, wellness and pleasure.
The History of Mother’s Day
The history of Mother’s Day is one of activism, resistance and reform. Long before it became flowers and day cards, women like Ann Reeves Jarvis laid its groundwork. During the Civil War, she established “Mother’s Day Work Clubs” to promote health and sanitation for families of Rebel and Union soldiers.
When she died in 1905, her daughter Anna Jarvis took the baton. She fought vigorously to have a day that celebrated mothers around the world. Thanks to her relentless campaigning, the United States first observed Mother’s Day in 1914.
Across the pond, meanwhile, the UK celebrates Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday when Lent. This custom is practiced with church visits and family gatherings. While the customs may vary, the aim is the same: to celebrate mother figures and all they do.
Activist Julia Ward Howe also imagined Mother’s Day as a peace appeal after the Civil War. Her 1870 proclamation called on women to join together in the service of disarmament and justice. It was a reminder that mothers have always been more than caregivers. They have been indispensable in propelling social advancement.
China’s practice of venerating mothers also dates further still. Communities feasted and celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month. This date was considered as Nüwa‘s birthday. They worshiped her as the legendary mother of the human race.
Worshippers flocked to temples to venerate her as a mother goddess. They also honored the source of life and motherly love.
The people celebrated the Buddhist Ullambana Festival on the 15th of the seventh lunar month. It was at this time that a widely held legend of piety towards parents started to spread. The monk Mulian was attempting to rescue his mother from suffering in the realms of hell. He gave food to monks, therefore exemplifying the profound state of filial piety.
This had become a tradition of commemorating both the ancestors and maternal compassion. It set cultural underpinnings that still resonate in Chinese views of motherhood today.
A Mother’s Right
We are in an era of changing conversations about sexual wellness. Yet recognizing mothers in this conversation is difficult to do. It’s common for society to believe that after becoming a mother, women aren’t supposed to want anything in life.
And yet every mother is first a woman. They, like anyone, should have access to self-care, sensuality and personal pleasure. There are organizations like Gaia in Love who are promoting such a whole model of womanhood.
In reality, lots of customers are giving gifts of women pleasure products today. These products are frequently selected as part of Mother’s Day gifts. These are not gimmicks — they are sensitive tools that acknowledge mothers as whole beings.
Supporting Her Wholeness
Celebrating moms would be celebrating all of her. She’s strong where she needs to be conscientiously soft, wise from her experiences of the past, and knows who she is as both a mother and as a woman.
It means recognizing that the women we celebrate this Mother’s Day also have needs and longings. True recognition is viewing, respecting and nurturing who they are. Honors mothers not only for what they do, but for who they are.
Whether you’re prepping for a fun Mother’s Day weekend jaunt or a cozy dinner at home, pause for a moment and ponder. Think about the ways your actions can elevate, not just thank. You can provide that something of genuine value: validation—evidence that you regard and honor her as a person in her entirety.
What Truly Matters in the End
As we edge toward Mother’s Day 2025, let us make room for every mother. That includes single moms, new moms, grieving moms, mother figures and anyone stolen by the dream of motherhood. Let’s raise their stories, hear their silences, and respect their development.
We also need to remember that the real meaning is not in what we give but in the time we spend.
The heart of Mother’s Day has always been — in many cultures beyond just the Chinese one — simple: to be there. Going home, having a conversation, and simply being there for them — that’s all that really counts.
Gifts may come and go, but we spend time together and feed connections that last long after the day is gone.
Above all, we should remember that she is a mother as well as a human being. But she remains a woman, a woman with dignity, a woman who deserves care now.
Happy Mother’s Day Weekend. And when you’re able, go back home — and not just bearing gifts, but bearing yourself.