1. Chinese family names are often formed (begin) with a sign that means "mother". It's a nice way of honouring their moms long past.

2. Japan's Imperial family traces their descent from Omikami Amaterasu, the Mother of the World.

3. Hindu scripture credits the Great Mother, Kali Ma, with the invention of writing through alphabets, pictographs and beautiful sacred images.

4. George Washington once said, "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

5. Native American Indian women have long been honoured with the name, "Life of the Nation" for their gift of motherhood to the tribes.

6. Mother's Day is now celebrated in many countries around the world. Australia, Mexico, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Russia, China, Thailand, all have special celebrations to honour Mothers, but not in the same way or on the same day as the United States.

7. In the Bible, Eve is credited with being the "Mother of All the Living."

8. Mother Earth is also known as "Terra Firma". That title is a Latin translation of some lines from one of the Greek poet, Homer's, greatest poems.

9. 81% of women 40 to 44 years old are mothers. In 1980, 90 percent of women in that age group were mothers.

10. Buddha honoured mothers when he said, "As a mother, even at the risk of her own life, loves and protects her child, so let a man cultivate love without measure toward the whole world."

11. The Ancient Greeks celebrated Mother's Day in springs, like we do. They used to honour Rhea, "mother of the gods," with honey-cakes and fine drinks and flowers at dawn. Sounds like the beginnings of the Mother's Day tradition of breakfast in bed!