What date is Mother’s Day? How can I make the day memorable on a budget and what are the best gifts to buy for Mother’s Day? Why is Mother’s Day different in the UK & USA? What are the most remarkable Mother’s Day traditions around the world? If you’re struggling for inspiration, you’ll find eight ways to a perfect Mother’s Day right here!
What date is Mother’s Day in the UK?
In 2022, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 27th March in the UK. Mother’s Day falls on a different date each year in the UK because the date is linked to Easter using the lunar calendar. Other countries celebrate it at different times – for example, the USA always celebrates on the second Sunday in May.
What are the best eight ways to a perfect Mother’s Day?
We’ve researched the best ideas to ensure your mum has a terrific day, whatever your budget. Join us for a whistle-stop tour of the best Mother’s Day traditions from around the globe, and gift ideas guaranteed to give your mum the biggest Mother’s Day smile!
1 – Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours!
A trip to a red post box may seem old fashioned, but never underestimate the joy of knowing that someone took time to sign, seal and deliver a personal greeting. You’re never too young – or too old – to love a Mother’s Day card.
In 2020, despite lockdown, the UK spent a staggering £57 million on Mother’s Day cards. Source: The Greetings Card Association.
We adore these Musical Theatre themed greetings cards from Etsy.
Did you know...
Mothering Sunday (originally celebrating the ‘mother church’) has been celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent, in the UK and Ireland, since the 1500s. The Romans celebrated a mother Goddess, Cybele, each March as far back as 250BCE.
2 – Practically perfect Mother’s Day Theatre
A trip to the theatre was a much loved tradition on Mother’s Day, right back to when Pantomimes used to run until Easter. Today, there’s an even bigger choice with Sunday shows playing across the West End. Check out this gorgeous bunch, all with Mother’s Day performances:
Cinderella
Mums will fall in love this sumptuous new Andrew Lloyd Webber/Emerald Fennell musical, with its unconventional twist on the traditional fairy-tale princess.
Find tickets for Cinderella from £23.40
Matilda
Working her magic on West End audiences since 2011, Roald Dahl’s schoolgirl hero is still just as revolting and Tim Minchin’s uplifting, irreverent score will delight mums of every age!
Find tickets for Matilda from £24.00
Mary Poppins
Everyone’s favourite nanny flies back into the West End with chirpy cockney chimneysweep Bert in tow…truly magical – book your mum a ticket, spit spot!
Find tickets for Mary Poppins from £24.00
Get Up, Stand Up!
For a totally chilled out Mother’s Day, who better than Bob Marley to provide the soundtrack. ‘Let’s get together and feel alright’ at this multiple Olivier Award nominated musical!
Find tickets for Get Up, Stand Up! from £18.00
Jersey Boys
Beggin’, Sherry, Walk Like A Man, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), Big Girls Don’t Cry…your mum will love you for taking her to a show with all her favourite Frankie Valli songs!
Find tickets for Jersey Boys from £30.00
3 – The Great Mother’s Day Bakeoff
Sharing is caring…and baking something for your mum is a great way to do both, whatever your budget. From a Mother’s Day brunch to a delicious lemon drizzle cake, whether you’re a talented Mary Berry or a complete donut disaster, pop on an apron and whisk away!
Did you know…
In India, the Hindu festival of Durga Puja celebrates Durga, goddess of mothers returning to her parents’ home. Cue ten days of food, gifts and decorations…check out these lip-smacking Durga Puja dishes for some Asian inspiration!
4 – Theatrical restaurants for a Perfect Mother’s Day extravaganza
If you prefer to leave the culinary magic to the pro chefs, here are our top tips for a fabulous pre or post theatre Mother’s Day treat. These restaurants all offer a theatrical ambiance with a warm greeting and a chilled dress code:
Joe Allen
Classic theatre district bar & brasserie, popular with actors, celebs & audiences alike. We’re wild about their Wild Mushroom Risotto.
Ideally located for: Mamma Mia, The Lion King, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman
Sarastro
‘The show after the show’. Mediterranean style menu and Ottoman & Byzantine style decor – this place is a true one-off. The Imam Bayildi is to die for!
Ideally located for: The Woman In Black, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong
The Ivy
The epitome of glamour, and hang out of just about every celeb in town, The Ivy is surprisingly relaxed – but book early! There’s a glorious choice of mouthwatering mains, but we do love their Shepherd’s Pie.
Ideally located for: My Fair Lady, The Glass Menagerie, Come From Away, The Mousetrap, Matilda
Rules
Rather fancy, London’s oldest restaurant, Rules has even featured in Downton Abbey – a visit to this quintessentially British restaurant is like stepping back into a more elegant age. If you can’t choose between the Sticky Toffee Pudding and the Apple Citrus Crumble, just order both!
Ideally located for: Back to the Future, The Lion King, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Zorro The Musical
5 – Make our garden grow
If you loved West Side Story, here’s some horticultural inspiration for a perfect Mother’s Day from Leonard Bernstein’s other great Musical Theatre masterpiece, Candide.
Whether it’s a window-box, a window-sill, a rose garden, or just scattering some bee-friendly wildflower seeds in a field, planting flowers is one of the most beautiful things you can do for your mum – and for the planet. It’s also a beautiful way to remember those mums we can’t be with.
Did you know…
In Japan, Mother’s Day grew in popularity after World War II as a means of comforting mothers who had lost sons in the war. Carnations are presented around this holiday, symbolic of the beauty and endurance of motherhood in Japanese culture.
For the green-fingered, tickets to Hampton Court Palace make a truly unforgettable Mother’s Day gift. Visit the historic medieval interiors and beautifully maintained gardens all year round.
6 – Family matters
When you’ve been apart, Mother’s Day is a chance to renew maternal bonds with a trip to a show that features family ties in unique and moving ways:
Only Fools and Horses
Packed with pathos and humour, join Del Boy, Rodney and Uncle Albert for a whirlwind tour of Peckham! This hilarious musical recreates all the best moments of Britain’s best sitcom – guaranteed to put a smile on every mum’s face.
Find tickets for Only Fools and Horses from £12.00
Mamma Mia!
Now one of the West End’s longest running musicals and packed full of ABBA’s greatest hits, this show wears its musical heart on its sleeve – the ultimate tribute to the love a mum can give.
Find tickets for Mamma Mia! from £18.00
Back to the Future
What if you could go back in time and meet your parents before you were even born? This movie-to-musical shows just how complicated things might get – and how much fun! All with the best special effects ever seen on a West End stage.
Find tickets for Back to the Future from £20.50
Come From Away
When the world around is falling apart, sometimes complete strangers can become best friends. When your son’s a firefighter on 9/11, you need good friends more than ever. An uplifting tale of love, loss and friendship triumphing against the odds.
Find tickets for Come From Away from £24.00
Did you know…
In Ethiopia, The Antrosht festival, celebrated in Autumn, is dedicated to mothers. After the seasonal rains have passed, families gather to eat and celebrate. Daughters bring vegetables and cheese, and sons bring meat. The whole family performs songs and dances, telling stories of family heroes.
7 – Unforgettable experiences for a Perfect Mother’s Day gift
If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary as a Mother’s Day treat, try these unforgettable London experiences:
London Eye and River Cruise
Cruise old father Thames, taking in the most historic sights along this majestic river and then enjoy the spectacular views of this sprawling metropolis from the iconic London Eye.
View from the Shard
If you want to go stratospheric, take a trip skyward in London’s tallest building. The view from the Shard will take your breath away – on a clear day you can see for an astonishing 35 miles.
The Painted Hall
One of London’s best kept secrets, The Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich is one of the most spectacular and important baroque interiors in Europe. Then, enjoy a riverside stroll around beautiful Greenwich.
The Art of Banksy
Treat your mum to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the original works of one the world’s most provocative and important living artists under one roof, in the heart of Covent Garden. Choose between timed entry for Art of Banksy and Fast Track tickets for complete flexibility.
Aljaž Skorjanec & Janette Manrara – Remembering The Oscars
Get ready to celebrate the Oscars in this exhilarating new dance spectacular with Strictly’s favourite couple, Aljaz and Janette. Features songs from Lady Gaga, Adele, Prince and Queen, to Burt Bacharach, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Irving Berlin and many more.
Did you know…
Anna Jarvis, daughter of social activist Ann Reed Jarvis, was believed to have founded the USA Mother’s Day movement over a century ago. In fact, the poet and author Julia Ward Howe promoted a Mothers’ Peace Day decades earlier in reaction to the American Civil and Franco-Prussian wars.
8 – Keep your options open
So much choice can sometimes leave us a bit bamboozled…in which case, our From The Box Office Gift Cards make the perfect Mother’s Day gift. They’re valid for 12 months and can be used for hundreds of shows at www.fromtheboxoffice.com.
Mad about Theatre? Check out our fun Theatre Quizzes and see just how much you know! Wherever you are, and whoever you are spending it with, we wish you all a very happy Mother’s Day.
