Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It’s a day for children and adult children to honor and thank their moms for being such special women. Here you can learn about 9 Different Ways Mother’s Day is Celebrated in Scandinavia.
While the modern Mother’s Day originated in the U.S.A. at the turn of the twentieth century, its origins go back much further.
In the Middle Ages, in Britain and elsewhere, a custom developed in which people who had moved away from their homes, which was common at the time in order for them to find work, returned once a year to honor both their mothering churches and their mothers.
In Britain, that took place on the fourth Sunday of the Christian festival of Lent. The day became known as Mothering Sunday.
Mother’s Day in the U.S.A., which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year, was started by a woman called Anna Jarvis.
In 1907, she began holding a small memorial service for her mother. Over the following years, most places in the country began observing Mother’s Day and in 1914, the president made the day a national holiday.
Like many other countries, Scandinavian countries celebrate Mother’s Day to this day.
And while most of the ways of marking the day are the same as or similar to other countries, like the U.S.A. and the countries of Great Britain, Scandinavian countries have some of their own specific ways of celebrating their moms on Mother’s Day.
Let’s take a look at nine.
Image: Norwegian Mother’s Day Greeting card by Jenny Nystrøm/Nasjonalbiblioteket.
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Three Ways Mother’s Day Is Celebrated in Norway
In Norway, Morsdag is celebrated on the second Sunday of February. Most countries celebrate Mother’s Day between March and May. Norway is the only country in the world to celebrate the day in February.
Ways in which mothers are honored on the special day include the following.
- Moms Receive Breakfast in Bed
Most children who live at home in Norway celebrate Mother’s Day by making their moms breakfast in bed, consisting of tasty bread rolls and freshly-brewed coffee.
Often, bouquets of flowers are given as breakfast is served.
- Cards and Gifts Are Given
In addition to giving flowers, many children and adult children in Norway give their mothers cards and gifts.
If it’s not possible for adult children to go home for the day, they will often send virtual Mother’s Day cards instead and send gifts via mail.
Also, it’s common for kids and adult children to make handmade gifts for their mothers.
- Cakes and Pastries Are Made to Celebrate the Day
Children, with the help of their fathers or older siblings, often make cakes or special pastries to celebrate Mother’s Day.
One favorite is Verdens Beste Kake, which literally means the World’s Best Cake in Norwegian!
Image: Mother’s Fay in Sweden. Illustration: CLARIN knowledge center for the languages of Sweden
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Three Ways Mother’s Day Is Celebrated in Sweden
Known as Mors Dag in Swedish, Mother’s Day is celebrated in the Scandinavian country of Sweden on the last Sunday in May.
Here are three ways in which people celebrate the day.
- Families Have Meals Together
It’s very common in Sweden for families to have special meals together on Mother’s Day.
In addition to eating tasty home cooked Swedish food, gifts and flowers are usually given during the meal.
- Families Go on Outings
In Sweden, it’s also common for families to go out on special outings, such as picnicking in the countryside or going on a long walk along the coast after a meal at home.
- Swedes Celebrate Mothers in Society
As well as honoring and celebrating their own mothers, Swedes see Mother’s Day as an opportunity to honor and support mothers within society.
So, many charitable organizations hold events and fundraisers to support moms in need, such as mothers with disabilities and single moms.
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Three Ways Mother’s Day Is Celebrated in Denmark
In Denmark, Mother’s Day is held in the second week of May.
Also known as Mors Dag, Mother’s Day sees families getting together to honor mothers.
Here are just three ways in which the day is celebrated in Denmark.
- Families Like to Eat Out
While many families get together for home cooked meals, as in Sweden, many other families enjoy eating out at nice restaurants on Mother’s Day.
Popular restaurants are usually fully booked on the day.
- Mothers Are Given Mors Dag Cakes
As in Norway, children often buy or make cakes for their mothers in Denmark.
Danish bakeries are always busy in the run-up to the day making special Mors Dag cakes.
- Commemorative Plates Are Given as Gifts
It’s common for children and adult children to give their mothers cards, flowers, and other gifts on Mother’s Day, just like in other countries.
But since the late 1960s, it’s also common to buy special commemorative Mother’s Day plates in Denmark.
Over the years, Danish mothers can gain quite a collection of plates – which they can always use to serve the delicious Mors Dag cakes!
9 Different Ways Mother’s Day is Celebrated in Scandinavia, written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Nadine Westwood. Nadine is a registered dietitian, travel blogger & fitness lover. In her spare time, she helps save stray animals. Nadine really does enjoy sharing her fitness journey with others who might need help with weight loss or finding a stress reliever.
Feature image (on top) Photo © Magdalena Smolnicka / Unsplash