Yaounde, May 28, 2023 – A new survey from WorldRemit, a leading digital remittances company within the Zepz Group, has found that 44% of migrants wish that Mother’s Day was celebrated on the same day around the world - pointing to the cultural difficulties faced by those who live in a different country to their mother.
Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates across the world, ranging from the second Sunday of February in Norway to the 15th of October in Malawi.
The multi-country survey was conducted in February with 3,000 participants, with a focus on understanding how migrants celebrate their relationship with their mothers.
Mother’s Day Timings
The most popular dates for Mother’s Day celebrations are the fourth week of Lent in March (such as in the United Kingdom and Nigeria) and the second Sunday in May (such as in the United States of America, South Africa, and Australia). In Cameroon however, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May.
The survey found that while 95% of respondents celebrate Mother’s Day, nearly a quarter (23%) agree that it is easy to forget when Mother’s Day is celebrated in their family’s country of origin.
While the majority of respondents (44%) celebrate Mother’s Day on the day their country of residence celebrates, over a third of respondents (35%) noted that they celebrate Mother’s Day twice a year; recognising the celebratory date in their family’s country of origin, in addition to the country they currently reside in.
44% of respondents agree that they wish that Mother’s Day was celebrated on the same day around the world.
The Impact of Mothers
Mothers and motherly figures serve as the golden thread through many of our lives, often shapeshifting as our confidante, advisor, friend, and caretaker.
WorldRemit’s survey found that 97% of respondents agree that their mother has been influential in shaping them as a person. In addition, 97% of respondents agree that their mother had helped them to get to where they are in their lives currently. Finally, 96% of respondents agree that their mother supports them in their life choices.
When asked to describe their mother in three words, responses from participants included “trustworthy”, “devoted”, “strong”, and “selfless”.
Gifting on Mother’s Day
The survey revealed that the most popular way to celebrate Mother’s Day is by sending a gift, which 72% of respondents stated is how they would mark the day. Other popular celebrations included eating out and a family visit.
Flowers were revealed as the most popular gift choice, with 63% of respondents citing that they planned on giving flowers on Mother’s Day. 57% of participants noted that they would be sending their mother money on Mother’s Day.
The survey took place on the Attest platform and resulted in 3,000 responses from people who celebrate Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the United States of America.
Those who responded that they do not celebrate Mother’s Day were exited from the survey to create a viable participant base.
No quotas (e.g. gender, age) were set for this survey so results are not intended to be nationally representative.