Mother’s Day 2027: dates in Latin America, the US, UK and Spain

Mother’s Day 2027 falls on Sunday, May 9 in the United States and most of Latin America, while Argentina celebrates on Sunday, October 17 and the United Kingdom on Sunday, March 7.

The guide below lists the 2027 date for all 20 Latin American countries, plus Spain, Portugal, the US and the UK, with the weekday, the rule each country follows, the law behind it where one exists and whether the day is a public holiday. Every date was calculated from its rule with code, and the legal references were checked against laws and official government pages in October 2026.

Mother’s Day 2027 dates by country

Mother’s Day 2027 falls on ten different dates across the 24 countries in the table, and Sunday, May 9 covers eleven of them. Where the table says “custom”, no law sets the date: it is kept by tradition.

The earliest date of the year is the UK’s on March 7 and the latest is Panama’s on December 8. Argentina is the only country in the region that celebrates in October.

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in the United States?

Mother’s Day 2027 in the United States is Sunday, May 9, the second Sunday of May. Federal law, 36 U.S.C. § 117, states that the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day, a rule that goes back to a 1914 resolution of Congress.

The same Sunday applies in Puerto Rico, where Law No. 25 of 11 March 1915 designates the second Sunday of May as Día de las Madres. Because the day always falls on a Sunday, it is not a federal holiday and does not change business hours beyond the usual Sunday schedule.

The Latin American countries that follow the second Sunday of May

In Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, Mother’s Day 2027 is Sunday, May 9. This is the most common rule in the Americas, and the date is identical to the US one, which helps families split between the two.

Some of these countries have the date written into law:

• Colombia: article 4 of Law 28 of 1925 created the “national celebration of the Mother” on the second Sunday of May. The rest of the year’s days off are in the guide to Colombia public holidays 2027.
• Brazil: Decree 21.366, signed by Getúlio Vargas in 1932, dedicates the second Sunday of May to mothers. Brazil’s working calendar is in the guide to Brazil public holidays 2027.
• Peru: a Supreme Resolution of 1924 set the second Sunday of May. See Peru public holidays 2027 for the full calendar.

In Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Uruguay and Venezuela the date is a custom. Sunday, May 9 does not alter the official calendar in any of them, including Chile, whose days off are listed in the guide to Chile public holidays 2027.

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in Argentina and Mexico?

Mother’s Day 2027 is Sunday, October 17 in Argentina and Monday, May 10 in Mexico, two of the dates that most often surprise visitors. Neither day is a public holiday.

Argentina: third Sunday of October

Argentina celebrates on the third Sunday of October by custom, with no law setting the date. The most widely cited explanation links October to the Catholic feast of the Divine Maternity of Mary, which Pope Pius XI set for October 11 in 1931. The celebration later moved to a Sunday so families could get together without work. Restaurants in Buenos Aires and other cities fill up for Sunday lunch, so book ahead if you are travelling. The national calendar is in the guide to Argentina public holidays 2027.

Mexico: May 10, whatever the weekday

In Mexico the date has been May 10 since 1922, when journalist Rafael Alducín, founder of the newspaper Excélsior, called for the day to honour mothers, according to the National Population Council. It is not a mandatory rest day under article 74 of the Federal Labour Law, so Monday, May 10, 2027 is a working day. Expect busy flower markets and restaurants that evening. Mexico’s official days off are in the guide to Mexico public holidays 2027.

Fixed dates in Central America, Bolivia and Paraguay

Eight countries in the region use a fixed calendar date instead of a Sunday: Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala on May 10; Bolivia on May 27; Paraguay on May 15; Nicaragua on May 30; Costa Rica on August 15; and Panama on December 8.

• El Salvador: May 10 is a paid day off under a legislative decree.
• Guatemala: national labour rules give working mothers, and only them, May 10 off with pay.
• Bolivia: May 27 honours the Heroínas de la Coronilla, women who fought in Cochabamba in 1812, and was fixed by a law of 8 November 1927. It is not a national holiday, although the Ministry of Labour usually grants working mothers a half day off.
• Paraguay: Mother’s Day shares May 15 with Independence Day. May 14 and 15 are both national holidays, so in 2027 Friday 14 to Sunday 16 May is a three-day weekend.
• Nicaragua: May 30 is a national holiday by law. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday.
• Costa Rica and Panama: Costa Rica’s August 15 dates from Decree No. 79 of 1932, and Panama’s December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, from Law 69 of 1930.

Where Mother’s Day is a public holiday

Mother’s Day 2027 is a national holiday in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua, falls on a holiday in Paraguay because of Independence Day, and is a paid day off in El Salvador. Elsewhere it is a normal day, and in most countries it is a Sunday anyway.

In Costa Rica, August 15, 2027 is a Sunday. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has stated that this holiday is taken on the day itself and is not moved to another date. Panama is the only country where the holiday falls midweek in 2027, on Wednesday, December 8, when many shops and offices close.

Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom

Mother’s Day 2027 is Sunday, May 2 in Spain and Portugal and Sunday, March 7 in the United Kingdom. None of the three treats it as a public holiday.

Spain and Portugal follow the custom of the first Sunday of May, one week before most of Latin America. The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter. Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28, so Mothering Sunday falls on Sunday, March 7, 2027. The date moves every year and can land anywhere from early March to early April.

Tips for travellers and families in several countries

Families spread across countries can face up to three Mother’s Day dates in 2027, for example March 7 in the UK, May 9 in the US or Brazil and October 17 in Argentina. Note them early, because international parcels and restaurant bookings get tight the week before.

• Gifts by post: anything going to Mexico, El Salvador or Guatemala has to arrive by Monday, May 10; parcels to Argentina have until mid-October.
• Travel: roads and bus terminals in Paraguay are busier over the May 14 to 16 long weekend, and many businesses in Panama close on Wednesday, December 8.
• Calls: Sunday, May 9 is the big day in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and the US, across several time zones.

Frequently asked questions

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in the US?

Mother’s Day 2027 in the United States is Sunday, May 9. Federal law, 36 U.S.C. § 117, sets the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a rule dating from a 1914 resolution of Congress. Puerto Rico uses the same Sunday under its own Law No. 25 of 1915. The day is not a federal holiday.

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in the UK?

Mother’s Day 2027 in the United Kingdom is Sunday, March 7. The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday. Easter 2027 falls on March 28, which puts Mothering Sunday on March 7. It is not a bank holiday, and the date changes every year with Easter.

Why does Argentina celebrate Mother’s Day in October?

Argentina celebrates in October because of a custom with religious roots. The most widely cited explanation is that the date was taken from the Catholic feast of the Divine Maternity of Mary, set for October 11 by Pope Pius XI in 1931. Over time the celebration settled on the third Sunday of October, which in 2027 is October 17.

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in Mexico?

Mother’s Day 2027 in Mexico is Monday, May 10. Mexico always celebrates on May 10, whatever the weekday, a custom dating from 1922. It is not a mandatory rest day under the Federal Labour Law, so offices and shops stay open, although many schools and companies hold small celebrations and restaurants are busy in the evening.

In which countries is Mother’s Day a public holiday?

Mother’s Day is a national public holiday in Costa Rica (August 15), Panama (December 8) and Nicaragua (May 30). In Paraguay, May 15 is also a holiday because it is Independence Day. El Salvador gives a paid day off on May 10, and Guatemala gives that day off to working mothers only. In the US, UK and Spain it is not a holiday.

When is Mother’s Day 2027 in Spain?

Mother’s Day 2027 in Spain is Sunday, May 2, because Spain celebrates by custom on the first Sunday of May. Portugal follows the same rule and also celebrates on May 2. For families split between Spain and Latin America, the Spanish date comes one week before the date used by most countries in the Americas.

Cover photo: Jack Swords / Unsplash