Mother's Day
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Mother's Day
An annual holiday celebrated in honor of mothers and motherhood. In many countries, it takes place on the second Sunday in May.
Zum Muttertag habe ich meiner Mutter einen großen Blumenstrauß geschenkt.
For Mother's Day, I gave my mother a large bouquet of flowers.
The word is made up of 'die Mutter' (mother) and 'der Tag' (day). The 's' in the middle is a linking s that connects the two words. Literally, it is simply 'der Tag der Mutter' (the day of the mother).
Am Muttertag besuchen viele ihre Mütter.
On Mother's Day, many people visit their mothers.
To refer to the holiday, you use the preposition 'an' with the dative ('am Muttertag', on Mother's Day) or 'zu' with the dative ('zum Muttertag', for Mother's Day). 'Zum Muttertag' often emphasizes the occasion for a gift or action.
Was wünschst du dir zum Muttertag?
What would you like for Mother's Day?
Common activities and gifts are 'zum Muttertag gratulieren' (to congratulate someone / send greetings for Mother's Day), 'einen Kuchen backen' (to bake a cake), 'Blumen schenken' (to give flowers), or 'Frühstück ans Bett bringen' (to bring breakfast in bed).
Die Kinder haben ihrer Mutter zum Muttertag ein selbstgemaltes Bild geschenkt.
The children gave their mother a picture they had painted themselves for Mother's Day.
Father's Day
'der Muttertag' and 'der Vatertag' are both holidays on which one parent is especially honored. The difference is clear: Mother's Day is about mothers, and Father's Day is about fathers. They can be confused because the words are built the same way and both can be connected with family and gifts. In Germany, Father's Day also falls on Ascension Day and is often understood as a day for men to go on outings. Mother's Day is usually in May and is more strongly connected with thanking one's mother.
Zum Muttertag schenkt Lena ihrer Mutter Blumen und schreibt ihr eine Karte.
For Mother's Day, Lena gives her mother flowers and writes her a card.
Am Vatertag macht Paul mit seinem Vater eine kleine Fahrradtour.
On Father's Day, Paul goes on a short bike ride with his father.