Haha no Hi: Mother's Day in Japan

Mother's Day in Japan, "Haha no Hi" (母の日), was once celebrated on March 6, the birthday of Empress Kōjun, mother of Emperor Akihito. Since 1949, the holiday has followed the Western calendar, and it is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.

The celebration of a day for mothers is ancient. Its origin dates back to ancient Greece, where the beginning of spring was celebrated in honor of Rhea, the mother of the gods. Mother's Day as we know it today was established in the United States. Anna Jarvis is recognized as the creator of the holiday. After her mother's death, she organized a memorial service and started the campaign that led to the establishment of Mother's Day as a holiday. The first service was held in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the holiday on the second Sunday of May.

In Japan, the holiday was originally established by the Imperial Women's Union on March 6, 1931, but the date did not catch on widely. The first large celebrations came later in the decade, with a gathering at Hibiya Public Hall in 1932 and the first Morinaga Mother's Day event in 1937. After World War II, the American custom took over, and around 1949 Mother's Day settled on the second Sunday of May throughout the country.

How Mother's Day is celebrated in Japan

On this day, some families stay home to enjoy everyday meals, with an important difference: the children are the cooks. Other families prefer to eat out and stroll in the beautiful parks and squares throughout Japan, depending on each person's culinary talent. Department stores and shopping districts fill with carnations and gift displays in the weeks before the date. In elementary school, children are encouraged to celebrate the holiday by making drawings and portraits of their mothers.

Some Japanese Delicacies for Mother's Day

Mother's cooking is always the best. We never forget the taste and often inherit our mother's culinary talent. Sushi is a good option to savor on Mother's Day, and the Japanese also enjoy:

• Nimono (simmered dishes);
• Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet);
• Miso soup;
• Chawanmushi (savory egg custard);
• Tofu;
• Sashimi.

Common gifts on Mother's Day

The most common gift on Japanese Mother's Day is the red carnation. In Japan, a red carnation is given to a mother who is alive, and a white one honors a mother who has passed away. Under hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, the red bloom stands for love and gratitude. Prices rise in the weeks before the date, and there is a huge variety of gifts and reminders for the occasion.

Haha no Hi shares its family meal and red carnation with Mother's Day celebrations in the rest of the world. Japan also treats May 5, Children's Day, as a day to thank mothers, and Father's Day, Chichi no Hi, follows on the third Sunday of June. For one day a year, the family cooks, gives flowers, and returns some of the care that mothers give all year.