It’s that time of year again: in a flurry of blooming flower petals, and pastel-coloured cards, Mother’s Day has arrived. But other than where to buy the best box of praline-centred chocolates, what do you really know about this annual celebration? Read on and you might just be surprised by these top Mother’s Day facts.

The founder of Mother’s Day tried to abolish it

Far from a tale of hardened commercial exploitation that most of us assume, the origins of Mother’s Day are quite touching. The US version of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, by a lady called Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for a special day of the year to honour and celebrate mothers after her own, beloved mother had passed away. Soon after, she filed a lawsuit to prevent its commercialisation, but she lost. Ironically, Anna never had children of her own.

Mother’s Day is a global affair

Mother’s Day is celebrated in all manner of ways across the world. In Ethiopia, Mother’s Day celebrations kick off at the end of the rainy season with a giant feast, in France, children do the chores to give mum a break for the day, and in Peru, kids give their mothers handmade tokens of their gratitude.

Your mum is worth all the fuss

The average mother spends around seven hours a week doing laundry, will change just under 5000 nappies by the time her child reaches the age of two, and spends four to seven hours a week ferrying her school-age children around, so buy the expensive chocolates: mum has earned it!

Say it with flowers

The traditional gift is a bunch of flowers or chocolates, making Mother’s Day one of the most profitable of the year for florists and chocolatiers. But there’s more to it than that: studies have shown that receiving flowers really can boost your mood, and it chocolate ups your serotonin levels, making mum feel happier long after she’s been received your gift, which is even greater incentive to splash out on some pretty blooms or some swish sweets for mum!

Mother’s Day has history

While it wasn’t officialised until 1908, the historic precedent to Mother’s Day can be found in several cultures, with celebrations of strong female figures dating back to Greek and Roman civilisations. In 16th century England, Mothering Sunday was a tradition kept by girls in service, who were allowed one day a year to return home to visit their families. To learn more interesting facts about Mother’s Day, and perhaps give you a little inspiration, check out this Mother’s Day infographic.

disclaimer: this is a collaborative post