Mother's Day in Panama Date in the current year: December 8, 2024

The celebration of Mother's Day on December 8 was first suggested by Hercilia Arias Velásquez, the wife of the then-President of Panama Florencio Harmodio Arosemena. The holiday was officially established in 1930.

According to another version, the celebration of the Mother's Day in Panama was the initiative of the Rotary Club. In 1924, the Rotary Club of Panama asked that the holiday be celebrated on May 11. The proposal was changed by Panamanian politicians so that Mother's Day would be celebrated on December 8.

The third version claims that Catholic Panamanians wanted to turn the Feast of the Immaculate Conception into a public holiday, but faced resistance from representatives of secular population who wanted to keep church and state separated. Celebration of Mother's Day on December 8 was the compromise they came up with.

Be that as it may, Mother's Day has become one of Panama's public holidays. On this day, mothers are presented with flowers and gifts. All Panamanians express their love, respect and gratitude to women that gave them life.