Did you know that in Canada, they celebrate Mother's Day by giving carnations? They also buy greeting cards. As well as highlight feminism! They're all pretty interesting, aren't they? It's easy to think that Canada is an open book, but when it comes to how they do things, they have their own unique ways. Who would've ever thought that celebrating Mother's Day is one of them? How they express their love and gratitude to their moms is pretty heartwarming. And though you may not be familiar with their customs, some of them bear following!
The Second Most Shopped-for Holiday
After Christmas, Mother's Day is actually the second most shopped-for
holiday in Canada. Finders.com saw that the average Canadian spend around C$111.00 for Mother's Day. Delving deeper into it, they also found that sons typically spend around $123.00 while daughters spend over C$99.00. Their money mostly goes to gifts, but oftentimes, it includes paying for meals when they eat out too. All in all, this only goes to show how much people in the country truly treasure their mothers. The fact this holiday is almost compared to Christmas, a time when one gives gifts to multiple people, not just their moms, says a lot.
The Greeting Card is The Go-To Gift
As for what Canadians give their moms on Mother's Day, the go-to gift is often the greeting card.
CBC.ca shared a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation that found that 78% of respondents planned to buy Mother's Day cards. And that's on top of what is likely another big percentage of kids, no matter their age, who plan on making the cards themselves. Though this isn't necessarily that big of a surprise. Greeting cards have always been effective as gifts, especially on days like Mother's Day. And oftentimes, the card is accompanied by other gifts too.
The Carnation is The Most Popular Flower
What's another popular gift option to give on Mother's Day in Canada? Flowers. Specifically, the carnation. This flower's connection to the holiday goes all the way back to the early 1900s in the US. The modern-day version of Mother's Day as the world knows it today was actually started by a teacher and social activist, Anna Jarvis. Long story short, Jarvis fought hard to establish a 'Mother's Day' holiday and the US Congress eventually passed it in 1914. During that time, she also chose the white carnation as the symbol of the holiday since it means 'pure love' in the language of flowers. From then on, carnations became the most popular during this holiday.
How The Schools Help Kids Celebrate Mother's Day
Since Canada follows the US custom of celebrating Mother's Day on the send Sunday of May, this gives the kids a chance to prepare what they want to give their moms beforehand. And as such, even schools help them with it as well. For many
schools in Vancouver, Toronto, and other big cities in the country, making Mother's Day cards (and other handicrafts) has become a staple class activity. Teachers give their kindergarten and elementary students the time—and sometimes, even the materials—to make something special for their moms for the holiday.
Canadian Moms Today Prefer Gadgets for Gifts
Don't underestimate your mom on how well they can handle all the new tech stuff. The
Imaging Alliance shared a survey by TechBargains.com that showed 91% of moms would prefer an iPad to flowers on Mother's Day. Yung Trang, president and editor of
TechBargains.com, even noted “
The survey results indicate a significant shift in what mothers want as gifts. Flowers, candy, and cards appear to be antiquated gifts. Today’s moms want to receive tech gifts to juggle their busy family and professional lives. The tablet is their gadget of choice.” So before Mother's Day this year, you already know what to get here!
Mother's Day in Canada might not seem all that interesting but that's far from the truth. There are actually a lot of fascinating and fun facts that you can learn about how this country celebrates the holiday.
