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, is celebrated on May 10 each year, regardless of the day of the week. This year, the two holidays sync up on Sunday, May 10.
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.
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 21.
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 2026? Here’s everything to know about Dia de las Madres
Reporting by McKenna Mobley, Victorville Daily Press / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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