Today (10 May) is Mother's Day, a global celebration dedicated to honouring mothers, maternal figures and the immeasurable contribution they make to families and society. In 2026, Mother’s Day is being observed on Sunday, May 10.When Is Mother's Day in 2026 and When Is It Celebrated Every Year?Mother's Day 2026 falls on Sunday, 10 May. In the United Kingdom, Mother's Day, also known as Mothering Sunday, is observed on the fourth Sunday of Lent, which typically places it in March. However, the global version of the occasion, most widely followed across the United States, India, Australia, Canada and much of the rest of the world, is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. It is this May edition that has become the dominant cultural event worldwide, and it is this date that hundreds of millions of people mark today.Why Was Mother's Day Started? The History Behind the OccasionThe modern celebration of Mother's Day traces its origins to the early twentieth century in the United States. Anna Jarvis, a social activist from West Virginia, campaigned tirelessly for an official day to honour mothers following the death of her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, in 1905. Ann Reeves Jarvis had herself organised "Mothers' Work Clubs" during the American Civil War to care for wounded soldiers on both sides of the conflict.People also askAI powered insights from this story•5 QUESTIONSIn 2026, Mother's Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 10. This date is observed globally, particularly in countries like the United States, India, and Australia.The modern Mother's Day originated in the early twentieth century in the United States, championed by Anna Jarvis. She campaigned for a day to honor mothers after her own mother passed away in 1905.You can express your gratitude through heartfelt messages, WhatsApp statuses, Facebook posts, or Instagram captions. Many wish to convey their love and appreciation through thoughtful words and gestures on this day.Mother's Day is celebrated to honor mothers and maternal figures for their immeasurable contributions to families and society. It's a day dedicated to appreciating their love, sacrifices, and guidance.Celebrations can include cooking a special meal, gifting flowers, throwing a surprise party, going on a long drive, or spending the entire day with your mother, talking about good old times.Anna Jarvis held the first official Mother's Day celebration in 1908 at a Methodist church in Grafton, West Virginia. Her relentless lobbying eventually persuaded US President Woodrow Wilson to sign a proclamation in 1914 establishing the second Sunday in May as a national day of honour for mothers. The idea spread rapidly across the world, with countries adapting the date and traditions to suit their own cultural contexts. Today, the occasion is observed in more than 50 nations, making it one of the most universally embraced celebrations on the calendar.Jarvis herself later grew deeply dismayed at the commercialisation of the day she had fought to create, spending her later years protesting against the greeting card and flower industries that had co-opted her vision. Her original intention was for the day to be a personal, heartfelt expression of gratitude, not a commercial event. That sentiment remains the truest spirit of the occasion.As millions celebrate the occasion this year, social media users are also searching for meaningful wishes, WhatsApp statuses and Instagram captions to express gratitude to their mothers. Here are 50 thoughtful ways to wish your mother on Mother’s Day 2026.View full ImageThe modern celebration of Mother's Day traces its origins to the early twentieth century in the United States.View full ImageHappy Mother’s Day Wishes, WhatsApp Messages and Instagram CaptionHappy Mother's Day 2026 Wishes: Heartfelt Mother’s Day WishesHappy Mother’s Day to the woman who made me who I am today.Thank you for your endless love, patience and sacrifices.Mum, your support has been my greatest strength.W
Tagore's birthday is celebrated twice each year — reflecting the coexistence of the globally recognised Gregorian calendar and the traditional Bengali calendar.Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)Every year, the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, Asia’s first Nobel laureate, is celebrated on May 7 across India.However, West Bengal and the Bengali diaspora globally observe his birth anniversary on Pochishe Boishakh, with a grand cultural festival. This year, Pochishe Boishakh is today, May 9. Why is there a dual celebration?Interestingly, Tagore's birthday is celebrated twice each year — reflecting the coexistence of the globally recognised Gregorian calendar and the traditional Bengali calendar.According to the Gregorian calendar, Tagore was born on 7 May 1861, in the Jorasanko mansion in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Consequently, the Government of India, educational institutions outside Bengal, and the global community officially mark May 7 as his birth anniversary.However, in the traditional Bengali calendar (the Bongabdo), Tagore was born on the 25th day of the first Bengali month, Boishakh. This specific day is culturally immortalised as Pochishe Boishakh (literally translating to the 25th of Boishakh).This dual observance highlights both a nationwide tribute to the Nobel laureate and a deep regional cultural connection in eastern India and Bangladesh.Rabindra Tagore Jayanti 2026: Why is it being celebrated on May 9 this year?Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which has a fixed progression of dates, the Bengali calendar is tied to solar cycles. The starting date of the Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh) fluctuates slightly on the Gregorian calendar, usually falling on April 14 or April 15.Because the starting point shifts, the 25th day of Boishakh also moves when mapped against the modern English calendar.In 2026, Pohela Boishakh was celebrated on April 15. Counting 25 days forward from that starting point brings us exactly to May 9.Therefore, according to the Bengali almanack (Panjika), the true astrological and cultural anniversary of Tagore’s birth falls today.This is why you will see cultural programs, poetry recitations, and musical tributes peaking on May 9 this year across West Bengal, Tripura, and Bangladesh.Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti 2026: DatesIn 2026, Rabindranath Tagore’s 165th birth anniversary will be observed on:May 7 (Gregorian calendar) – across IndiaMay 9 (25th Boishakh) – in West Bengal and BangladeshSignificance of Pochishe BoishakhRabindra Jayanti is far more than a mere birthday; it is a celebration of Bengal's cultural awakening. Rabindranath Tagore, affectionately known as Gurudev or Kabiguru, reshaped Bengali literature, music, and art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.His vast body of work includes:Rabindra Sangeet: Over 2,000 timeless songs that remain the emotional soundtrack of Bengali life.National Anthems: He is the only person to have composed the national anthems of two countries—India’s Jana Gana Mana and Bangladesh’s Amar Sonar Bangla.Gitanjali: The profoundly spiritual collection of poems that won him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.Visva-Bharati University: The pioneering educational institution he founded in Santiniketan, challenging conventional colonial education systems.While the dates may differ, the essence of the celebration remains identical.Whether you commemorated the Bard of Bengal on May 7 or are participating in the vibrant Pochishe Boishakh festivities today on May 9, the day serves as a powerful reminder of Tagore's enduring philosophy of universal humanism, boundless creativity, and intellectual freedom.Lesser-known facts about Rabindranath TagoreInspired Sri Lanka’s Anthem: His Bengali composition, Nama Nama Sri Lanka Mata, was translated by his student and adopted as Sri Lanka's national anthem.Colour-Blind Painter: He began painting in his late 60s. His uniquely muted colour palettes were likely the result of red-green colour blindness.Invested Nobel Prize mon
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