Mother's Day
Preserved but no longer current.
In U.S.A. the second Sunday in May is observed as an occasion for each person to remember his mother by some act of grateful affection. In schools Mother's Day is observed on the Friday preceding the above date.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Mother's Day” mean?
In U.S.A. the second Sunday in May is observed as an occasion for each person to remember his mother by some act of grateful affection. In schools Mother's Day is observed on the Friday preceding the above date.
Is “Mother's Day” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.