Many Californians celebrate Mother’s Day twice, particularly those of Latin descent.
The U.S. tradition, which dates to 1908, honors moms around the nation on the second Sunday in May.
Dia de la Madres, or Mexican Mother’s Day, however, comes a day early this year. The Latin holiday is always celebrated on May 10 from generation to generation, no matter the day of the week.
The first Mexican Mother’s Day dates back to 1922, when Rafael Alducin, a journalist and founder of the Mexican newspaper “Excelsior,” launched a nationwide invitation to show honor to Mexican mothers, according to an article in the Yucatan Times.
Similar to Mother’s Day, Dia de la Madres is a day to honor the sacrifices and hardships endured by moms everywhere and show the same love and adoration to them that they give to us.
Here’s everything to know about Dia de la Madres: how it is celebrated, why it holds a special place in Mexican culture, and where to celebrate with the Southern California community.
Why is Mexican Mother’s Day always on the 10th?
Celebrating Dia de las Madres on May 10 is a tradition that started over 100 years ago.
Alducin called for Mexico as a nation to decide on a day to pay respect to Mexican mothers. The unanimous decision was May 10.
Mexico became the first Latin American country to recognize a day to pay homage to and recognize the important roles that mothers play.
However, celebrating motherhood is not a new concept on the continent.
Indigenous communities across the region are built on matriarchal foundations, like the Juchitec matriarchy of the Zapotec civilization in Mexico and Costa Rica’s matriarchal Bribri society.
Much of Indigenous Maya and Aztec ideology is also centered around femininity, with various female deities like Ixchel at the center of the belief system.
The National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics released survey data that showed consumer spending on Mother’s Day is expected to hit $34.1 billion this year. Many popular items included flowers, cards and jewelry.
Is there a Mexican Father’s Day?
There is also a Mexican Father’s Day, known as Día del Padre.
Unlike Día de las Madres, this holiday is not held on the exact same date each year. Día del Padre is like Father’s Day in the U.S. It’s celebrated annually on the third Sunday of June.
This year Día del Padre is on June 15.
Celebrating Mexican Mother’s Day in Los Angeles County
Celebrate Mexican Mother’s Day at the Los Angeles County Fair this year.
Mother and Mexican artist Alicia Villareal will perform a special Dia de la Madre show at the fair on Saturday, May 10. She will hit the stage with Mariachi Vargas at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com starting at $57.85, including fees.
The fair is also hosting a Mother’s Day Brunch from 12 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 11. Included in the $44.99 price is admission to the fair, a brunch buffet, a ticket to see Chris Young that night at the LA County Fair Concert Series, photo ops with the fair mascot Thummer and friends, and a return ticket to the fair good for Thursdays, May 15 and 22.
McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at mmobley@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: When is Mexican Mother’s Day 2025? Here’s what Dia de las Madres means