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Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day 2026 and 2027

Mother’s Day in Australia shares the same date and the same sorts of traditions as the US where it originated. However, although Mother’s Day was established in the US by 1908, it took till 1924 to be well accepted in Australia. Mother’s Day is widely observed across Australia, although it is not a public holiday.

In 2026, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 10 May. The observance will be on Sunday 9 May in 2027.

YearDateDayHoliday
202610 MaySunMother's Day
20279 MaySunMother's Day
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

Apart from it being imported from the United States, there is a special story of how Mother’s Day first began in Australia. A Mrs. Heyden of Sydney is said to have first come up with the idea of giving gifts to mothers on Mother’s Day.

She began giving them to mothers at the Home for Destitute Women and Children and then started traveling around to give gifts to lonely elderly mothers with no kids around to do it. The newspapers kept advertising Mother’s Day gift giving of this sort for seven years, and after that, the holiday finally become commonplace.

An old tradition is that people wear white flowers to honour their mother on Mother’s Day. However, the more common ways of celebrating include children giving their mother a gift, flowers, a card, a break from house chores, and maybe lunch or dinner out at a nice café or restaurant or a cooked meal at home.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHoliday
202511 MaySunMother's Day
202412 MaySunMother's Day