Quiz of the Day
Mother's Day
Sunday, 10 May 2026
Celebrating mums — famous mothers, motherhood in nature, family traditions
1. When is Mother's Day celebrated in the UK?
- Last Sunday in April
- First Sunday in March
- Second Sunday in May
- Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday)
The UK celebrates Mothering Sunday, which falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. The US celebrates in May. This frequently confuses international card companies and flower shops.
2. Which animal has the longest pregnancy in the animal kingdom?
- Elephant
- Blue whale
- Rhinoceros
- Giraffe
Elephant pregnancies last about 22 months — nearly two years. Baby elephants weigh about 120 kg at birth and can stand within an hour. Elephant mothers are fiercely protective and are supported by the whole herd.
3. Who is credited with founding the modern American Mother's Day in 1908?
- Julia Ward Howe
- Queen Victoria
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Anna Jarvis
Ironically, Jarvis later spent years fighting to abolish the holiday she created, outraged by its commercialisation. She was arrested for disturbing the peace at a Mother's Day event and died penniless in 1948.
4. What is the most popular flower given on Mother's Day?
- Roses
- Carnations
- Lilies
- Tulips
Anna Jarvis chose white carnations (her mother's favourite) as the official Mother's Day flower. Pink or red carnations are for living mothers; white for those who have passed. About 113 million Mother's Day cards are sent in the US each year.
5. Which famous scientist was a mother of two and won two Nobel Prizes?
- Marie Curie
- Dorothy Hodgkin
- Barbara McClintock
- Rosalind Franklin
Curie won Nobel Prizes in Physics (1903) and Chemistry (1911) while raising daughters Irène and Ève. Irène went on to win her own Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 — making them the only mother-daughter Nobel laureates.
6. In which country do children give their mothers small cakes called 'simnel cake' on Mothering Sunday?
- France
- Italy
- Germany
- United Kingdom
Simnel cake is a rich fruit cake with 11 marzipan balls on top, representing the apostles minus Judas. The tradition dates back to medieval times when servants were given a day off to visit their 'mother church' and family.
7. How much is spent on Mother's Day in the UK each year?
- About £1.6 billion
- About £500 million
- About £5 billion
- About £3 billion
Brits spend about £1.6 billion on Mother's Day — roughly £28 per person. The US spends even more: over $35 billion, making it the third-largest spending holiday after Christmas and back-to-school.
8. Which sea creature carries its babies in its stomach and then spits them out?
- Sea turtle
- Octopus
- Mouthbrooding cichlid
- Seahorse
Female mouthbrooding cichlids carry fertilised eggs in their mouths for weeks, unable to eat during this time. When the babies hatch, they return to mum's mouth when danger threatens — the ultimate protective mother.
9. Which famous mother led her country as its longest-serving Prime Minister?
- Margaret Thatcher
- Indira Gandhi
- Jacinda Ardern
- Angela Merkel
Thatcher was the mother of twins Mark and Carol. She served as PM for 11 years (1979-1990). When asked about balancing motherhood and politics, she said she always made sure the children's tea was ready before going to Parliament.
10. In which animal species does the father carry the babies to term?
- Wolf
- Emperor penguin
- Seahorse
- Swan
Male seahorses have a brood pouch where females deposit eggs. The male carries up to 2,000 babies for 2-4 weeks before giving birth. Seahorse fathers even experience contractions during labour.
11. What is the record for most children born to one mother?
- 69
- 44
- 82
- 55
The wife of Feodor Vassilyev (18th century Russia) reportedly gave birth to 69 children: 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets. While the claim is in the Guinness Book of Records, some historians dispute it.
12. Which animal mother is known for carrying her babies on her back?
- Bear
- Kangaroo
- Scorpion
- Wolf
Mother scorpions carry their babies (called 'scorplings') on their backs for about 2 weeks until after their first moult. A single brood can have 20-40 babies stacked on top of each other.
13. Which literary mother is the central character in Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women'?
- Mrs Weasley
- Mrs March (Marmee)
- Mrs Dashwood
- Mrs Bennet
Marmee was based on Alcott's own mother, Abigail May. The novel, published in 1868, was one of the first to portray a mother as a complex, three-dimensional character rather than a distant authority figure.
14. What is a 'kangaroo mother care' in medicine?
- A type of baby carrier
- Skin-to-skin contact between parent and premature baby
- An Australian birthing method
- A type of surgery
Kangaroo mother care was developed in Bogotá, Colombia in 1978 when incubators were in short supply. Placing premature babies skin-to-skin on their mother's chest proved so effective at regulating temperature and bonding that it's now standard practice worldwide.
15. Which country celebrates Mother's Day on March 8, combining it with International Women's Day?
- Japan
- Brazil
- China
- Russia
In Russia, International Women's Day on March 8 effectively serves as Mother's Day too. Men give flowers and gifts to all women in their lives. It's one of Russia's most popular holidays — flower sales spike by over 500%.