13 Things You Didn’t Know About Mother’s Day

1. M is for Mother

Across languages, most words for “mother” start with the letter M.

Read up on these beautiful Mother’s Day quotes!

2. You’ve Got to Give Her Praise

Moms deserve the praise: 84 per cent of Canadians think that being a mother is one of the hardest jobs there is, and 64 per cent of Canadians consider Mom to be one of their heroes.

Here are five ways parental pressure can do more harm than good.

3. Canadian Mother’s Day Isn’t Canadian

It was actually started in the United States in 1908 by Anna Marie Jarvis, who wanted to commemorate her own mom’s Mother’s Day Work Clubs, which raised money for women with tuberculosis. Jarvis set up the holiday as, of all things, a sober day of reflection. (That brunch business only caught on later.)

4. How Much We Spend

The average Canadian spends $84 on Mother’s Day, making it the most shopped-for event after Christmas. Sons tend to spend more ($105) than daughters ($62); residents of Ontario tend to budget the most ($94), residents of Atlantic Canada the least ($70).

Keep these simple tips in mind when you’re shopping online.

5. There Are Some Clever Sayings About Motherhood

There are a million sayings about motherhood, but only a few by Joan Rivers: “Always give them the freedom to make mistakes, and then never miss an opportunity to say, ‘I told you so,'” and “Sometimes you’re their best friend, sometimes you’re their enemy, but you’ll always be their bank.”

Here are the funniest quotes ever uttered by history’s most famous people.

6. Not Everyone Shows Their Love

Between 15 and 18 per cent of Canadians don’t give their moms anything on the big day. (Between 15 and 18 per cent of mothers are considering not giving their children anything ever again.)

7. If You Don’t Have An Idea, Someone Else Does

Stuck for ideas? The British online service Gift Owl has you covered. You buy the gift card, Gift Owl sends Mom a favourite-things survey to fill out, and a professional shopper puts together an adorable care package.

8. We Buy a Lot of Cards

Mother’s Day is known as a Hallmark holiday for a reason: each year, 16 million greeting cards are purchased-almost two for each of Canada’s 9.2 million moms.

9. You Can Be Trendy

Scrabble greeting cards are trending. Show Mom how well you use your words with any number of tile-happy missives, available through Etsy.

10. The Worst Thing You Can Get Her is Nothing

According to a 2011 Ipsos Reid survey, 41 per cent of moms thought not getting a gift was the worst thing they could receive on Mother’s Day. A gong, a chainsaw and a bag of onions were also on the hate list.

11. She’s Probably Faked Her Appreciation

Forty-two per cent of Canadian moms have reported faking appreciation for their Mother’s Day gifts. It might have something to do with the fact that over half of us put off the planning until the last minute.

12. Brunch is Good, But Tea Time is Better

Brunch is good, but tea time is tops. A mid-afternoon date means Mom can sleep in, so treat her to a cuppa. Montreal’s Camellia Sinensis specializes in premium varieties from Taiwan, China, Japan and India and offers workshops, while the storied Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria sticks to a classic scones-and-sandwiches tea service.

13. She Wants an iPad

Tech trumps tulips: apparently nine out of 10 mothers would prefer iPads to flowers.