Most people living in Belgium celebrated their mothers on 14 May (the second Sunday of the month) but there is one city in Belgium that waits until three months later.
15 August as it marks Assumption Day and is a national holiday in Belgium. But for those living in Antwerp, it is also the day to treat mothers – or as they put it in Flanders: "Mama in de bloemetjes zetten."
Though not the official Mother's Day across the country, the Antwerp tradition predates the day now chosen by the rest of the country to celebrate Mother's Day, which originated in the United States.
Two different dates
Most Belgians celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May, as do many other countries in Western Europe as well as Australia and New Zealand, Malaysia, Brazil, Canada, China, Jamaica and Peru.
Celebrating Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May came from a campaign launched by judge Julia Ward Howe in the state of Pennsylvania in 1870. She intended the day to be one of pacifism and disarmament. This later turned into an occasion to show appreciation for mothers when Anna Marie Jarvis of West Virginia pushed for this spin on events in 1907.
It was finally set in stone following a decision by President Woodrow Wilson, who was president when women in the US gained the right to vote at the federal level in 1920. He announced in 1914 that every second Sunday in May would be a new bank holiday to honour mothers. This tradition later spread to Europe and gained a foothold in Belgium in the 1920s.
But the people of Antwerp already first celebrated this day one year earlier, when Frans Van Kuyck, a liberal councillor at the time, wrote in his pamphlet 'The Mother's Day' that all mothers should be honoured on 15 August to restore the dignity of the family and make it flourish. He was concerned that the modernisation emerging since the start of the century had "upset the social order."
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Van Kuyck believed the mother's role in a family and in society had to be highlighted. It is no coincidence that this day coincides with Assumption Day, as this is the name day of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary is the patron saint of Antwerp since 1124.
Parts of the province of Antwerp, including the Kempen region, also celebrate Mother's Day in August. Costa Rica also recognises this as Mother's Day. Thailand celebrates slightly earlier in the month, on 12 August, as this is the birthday of their Queen Sirikit.
Special traditions
Antwerp also has a specific tradition associated with Mother's Day, namely the Mother's Day Breakfast. Families get together in the morning and surprise their mothers with breakfast in bed, which often consists of delicious waffles, fresh strawberries, chocolate rolls and a cup of coffee or tea.
Later in the day, various events and activities take place in the city to mark Mother's Day. Craft markets are organised where people can buy special gifts for their mothers. Many restaurants and venues also organise special brunches or lunches to honour mums across the city.
While the city invariably celebrates Mother's Day on 15 August as it has deep cultural significance in Antwerp, some people also choose to celebrate International Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May, allowing them to honour their mothers at different times of the year.
