Mother's Day Norway – February 9, 2025

History of Mother's Day Norway

Known as one of the most popular holidays around the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated in more than 50 countries across the globe. Although Mother’s Day is not recognized as a public holiday in the United States, it’s a legal national holiday observed on the second Sunday in May. Not all countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the same day of the year, however. Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. Mexico and some other countries in Latin America celebrate Mother’s Day annually on May 10. In Thailand, Mother’s Day falls on August 12, which is the birthday of the current Queen.

The earliest Mother’s Day could be traced to ancient Greece, where Greeks held festivities to honor Rhea, who was renowned as the mother of the gods. In Norway, Mother’s Day, or Morsdag, is celebrated on the second Sunday in February, as a day to appreciate and honor mothers and mother figures. The first Mother’s Day in Norway was on February 9, 1919, celebrated in a Methodist Church in Bergen. The celebration was initially organized by religious institutions, until two women — Karen Platou, a businesswoman and politician, and Dorothea Schjodager, a social worker, teacher, and women’s rights activist — established the day as an annual holiday in Norway. Thanks to non-government organizations, entrepreneurs, and mass media who supported the national holiday, these women’s idea of Mother’s Day subsequently became a national observance.

On this day in Norway, mothers often receive presents, and some also get breakfast in bed with handcrafted items and greeting cards, courtesy of their children. Sometimes when the day coincides with Fastelavn, Carnival day, locals celebrate with ‘Fastelavenboller,’ a special type of bun.