Buddha and mums share the love

IS IT just me or is everyone very excited for Buddha’s birthday on Sunday?

Mums all around Australia will be celebrated on Sunday. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

IS IT just me or is everyone very excited for Buddha’s birthday on Sunday?

Buddha is a bit like the Queen: his birthday varies from country to country, but in Taiwan it is the second Sunday in May — same as Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is going to be weird for us. Traditionally, my girlfriends get together to celebrate each other. Our kids and husbands cook and it is generally a very long lunch.

I’ll miss that so much this year. Instead, at our house we are going to dress up for a dinner party on Saturday night and go for a walk on Sunday.

Have I mentioned I love isolation and the fact my kids have nothing better to do on weekends than hang at home?

Just because Mother’s Day feels so different this year, I thought I would check out what the rest of the world will be up to.

As mentioned, in Taiwan, mothers share their day with Buddha.

The upside is that there are lots of festivals and events; the downside is, you are not the main show.

In India, kids are encouraged to write long lists of all the things their mum has done for them throughout the year — particularly acknowledging the sacrifices their mother has made.

I think I would rather get drunk with my friends.

In Sweden, they sell plastic flowers for mums and the money raised is used to send underprivileged mums away on small holidays.

In Japan, it’s called “haha no hi” and children draw pictures of their mum.

It’s actually quite a big deal and most towns and cities have “My Mother” exhibitions this weekend with big prizes for the winners.

In Germany, Mother’s Day looks much the same as it does here these days. But in the 1930s, Hitler was a big fan. Historians believe Hitler’s mother Klara was the only person in the world he ever truly loved.

During World War II, the Fuhrer awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to women on Mother’s Day, depending on how many children they had produced for the Vaterland.

Probably my favourite Mother’s Day tradition is from the Balkans, where they call it Mothering Sunday.

Early in the morning, children creep into their parents’ bedroom and tie their mother up.

The only way for mum to be released is to bribe her way out of the bindings with presents for the kids.

I should clarify, it’s a three-day festival including Children’s Day when the offspring are tied up until they promise to be good for the year and Father’s Day when the presents are the biggest.

Whatever you’re doing on Sunday,

I hope you get a chance to hug a mum who means a lot to you.

If that’s not possible and you still need a drink, remember, it’s Buddha’s birthday somewhere.

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