In many countries around the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated during May. Our country is an exception by celebrating it on December 8.
Six Years Celebrating May 11
It all started at a Rotary Club of Panama meeting, at the beginning of 1924, when they were looking for an official date to celebrate Mother’s Day. Initially, it was established as an official resolution on May 11, 1924, which was approved by President Belisario Porras.
Six years later, in 1930, an organize Catholic women group sent a letter to President Florencio Harmodio Arosemena’s wife, Hercilia de Arosemena, to ask that Mother’s Day be changed from May 11 to December 8.
Celebration Approved
The purpose of changing the date was for the celebration to be on the same day of the feast of the Immaculate Conception. However, this request was subjected to heated debate, as some members of the National Assembly rejected that the date became a religious holiday. Noticing the disagreement between Catholics and non-believers, Deputy Anibal Rios D. proposed moving Mother’s Day to December 8, but without highlighting the religious aspect, and thus the change of date was finally approved through Law 69 of December 18, 1930, declaring December 8 as a day to honor all Panamanian mothers and residents in our country.
