DEARBORN —-Along with learning the language, many immigrants in the U.S. work hard to absorb the social and cultural traditions of their new home. Kilograms become pounds, kilometers become miles and football becomes soccer. Even Mother’s Day, in some cases, is celebrated a different month.

Throughout the Middle East, Mother’s Day is celebrated on March 21.  In the U.S., it is celebrated on the second Sunday of every May.  

While some families continue to celebrate Mother’s Day in March, others choose to celebrate it in May. However, many celebrate both occasions, giving the mothers in their lives two well-deserved days of honor.

Jenan Dakroub, owner of Yasmeena’s Florist in Dearborn, says that she has many customers who purchase flowers for their mothers in celebration of the March 21 Mother’s Day.

“Most of my customers celebrate the U.S. holiday,” she added. “In addition, many people who celebrate in March will come back in May as well. Personally, I celebrate both.”

Dakroub estimates that the ratio of customers who celebrate in March is about 25 percent. She says that Mother’s Day is mostly celebrated in March by more recent immigrants from the Middle East.  However, second generation Arab Americans observe Mother’s Day in May mainly.

Khader Abu Khader, a Palestinian American handyman, who was born and raised in Palestine, says that he celebrates Mother’s Day on March 21, because “that’s how we were raised and that’s what we are used to. That holiday is rooted in us.”

Abu Khader says that he still observes the U.S. holiday. His children are aware of the March holiday, but mostly celebrate it in May, because of what they learn in school. He jokes that every year he ends up purchasing two gifts for his mom, two for his wife and two for his mother-in-law.

Although Mother’s Day is a global holiday, the specific day that it is celebrated varies significantly throughout the world. The holiday is celebrated on more than 30 different days, by different countries every year.

The date that Mother’s Day is celebrated is often tied to a significant historic, cultural, or religious event in that particular country. For example, Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day on August 12, which is the birthday of its queen Sirikit.  Iran’s Mother’s Day occurs on 20 Jumada Al-Thani of the Islamic lunar calendar, which coincides with the birth of Fatima, the Prophet Mohamed’s daughter.

During the Cold War, communist countries paid tribute to mothers during International Women’s Day, which is March 8. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, some ex-communist countries, including Serbia and Bulgaria, still carried on the tradition of celebrating mothers on International Women’s Day.  While Laos, Albania and Afghanistan also still celebrate mothers on March 8, they now officially call it Mother’s Day, like the rest of the world.

In the United States, Mother’s Day became a nationally recognized holiday in 1908, thanks to the efforts of Anna Marie Jarvis, who started the tradition by sending 500 carnations to mothers across the country in commemoration of her own mother, Ann Jarvis, a social activist during the Civil War, who had died a few years earlier.

Over 50 countries across the world, including Canada, Brazil, Italy and China, have adopted the date of the U.S. holiday as their own as well.

Whether celebrating this Sunday, or any other day of the year, the many days dedicated to mothers across the globe serve as a testament that one day simply isn’t enough to give thanks to our mothers.  The Arab American News wishes all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.