[For Elementary School Students] A Collection of Fun, Educational Quiz Ideas for Mother's Day

hydrangea

When it comes to flowers for Mother’s Day, carnations are the classic choice, but in recent years hydrangeas have also grown in popularity. Hydrangeas are drawing attention because their peak blooming season is close to Mother’s Day and they are easy to care for. Another reason for their popularity is the flower’s meaning: “family togetherness.”

May 5

In addition to Mother’s Day, May 5th—Children’s Day—is also considered a day to show appreciation for mothers. In fact, the law concerning national holidays states that it is not only a day to pray for children’s happiness but also a day to express gratitude to mothers. Let’s share lots of appreciation with moms in May!

March

Mother’s Day was first established in Japan in 1931. Unlike today’s May observance, it was designated on March 6 at the time. This date was the birthday of the Empress, consort of Emperor Showa, but the observance did not become widely popular. It later shifted to the current month around the time Morinaga Confectionery promoted a Mother’s Day campaign.

Meiji era

Mother’s Day was introduced to Japan around the end of the Meiji era. Entering the Taisho era, events began to be held in churches and gradually spread throughout society. Then, in 1931, “Mother’s Day” was set on a date different from the one observed today.

Day of Bags

Like Mother’s Day, a commemorative day established on the second Sunday of May is “Bag Day.” It’s associated with the fact that mothers are sometimes called “ofukuro” (a term that includes the word for “bag”). It was also set on this day with the hope that people would give bags as gifts on Mother’s Day and help raise awareness of bags.

carnation

Carnations are often chosen as flowers given on Mother’s Day. This custom is said to have begun when Anna Jarvis in the United States decorated an altar with her late mother’s favorite carnations. Incidentally, the carnations displayed at that time were white.

May

Mother’s Day is set on the second Sunday of May. Since the date isn’t fixed, it’s easy to forget when it falls each year. By the way, Father’s Day is on the third Sunday of June, so keep both in mind together.

Father's Day

Father’s Day began as a counterpart to Mother’s Day. It started when a woman in the United States, wanting to express gratitude to her father who had raised her and her siblings on his own, petitioned for a day like Mother’s Day to honor fathers.

United States of America

Mother’s Day is said to have originated in the United States in the early 1900s. It was established by the U.S. Congress after a woman named Anna Jarvis placed her late mother’s favorite carnations on her mother’s altar and sought to spread the sentiment of cherishing mothers.

Love for my mother

Red carnations have the flower meaning “a mother's love.” Like other flowers, carnations have different meanings depending on their color: pink means “gratitude,” orange means “pure love,” and purple means “elegance,” among others. Dark red and white carnations carry somewhat negative meanings, so it’s best to avoid them for Mother’s Day.