How will you celebrate La Festa della Mamma?
Learn all about Mother’s Day in Italy, when it is and how to pronounce it in Italian. We have practical language tips on different ways to wish your mom a Happy Mother’s Day in Italian (Auguri! Buona Festa della Mamma!), how to write her a card for La Festa della Mamma, and a song to dedicate to her. You’ll also learn how Italians celebrate this holiday, and its history.
Table of Contents
LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA: MEANING AND PRONUNCIATION
La Festa della Mamma is Mother’s Day in Italian.
Festa means holiday or party in Italian. Mamma actually means Mom, not mother (the word for mother in Italian is madre). So literally Festa della Mamma means Mom’s holiday, or Mom’s day.
The pronunciation of La Festa della Mamma is: lah FEH-stah DEHL-lah MAHM-mah
Listen to how to pronounce La Festa della Mamma here:
WHEN IS MOTHER’S DAY IN ITALY?
Mother’s Day in Italy – La Festa della Mamma – is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
La seconda domenica di maggio è la Festa della Mamma. Come festeggiate di solito?
The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. How do you usually celebrate?
WHAT TO TELL YOUR MOM ON LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA
Want to wish your mom a Happy Mother’s Day in Italian? Here’s what you can tell her on the Festa della Mamma.
Buona Festa della Mamma!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Auguri Mamma!
Best wishes Mom!
Auguri is a word you can use on birthdays, patron saint days and holidays to give someone your best wishes. Learn more about how to use auguri here.
HOW TO WRITE A CARD FOR LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA
Italian schoolchildren often make a bigliettino, or card, for their mothers on Festa della Mamma. Here are some tips for writing your own.
Start out with:
Cara mamma,
Dear Mom,
For the body of your card there are many phrases you can use in addition to Buona Festa della Mamma (Happy Mother’s Day) and Auguri (Best wishes) above. For example:
Mamma sei . . .
Mom you are . . .
speciale special
unica one of a kind
fantastica fantastic
importante important
Sei la miglior mamma del mondo!
You’re the best Mom in the world!
Ti voglio bene mamma.
I love you Mom.
In Italian, there are two ways to say I love you, so make sure you use the right one to avoid a weird misunderstanding! Ti voglio bene (literally, I want you well), is reserved for friends and family. Ti amo is for telling a special someone that you love them in a romantic way.
Then sign your name with:
Il tuo xxxxx, Your (male name),
La tua xxxxx, Your (female name),
Con affetto, With love,
Abbracci, Hugs,
Baci, Kisses
HOW ITALIANS CELEBRATE LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA
The mother is a revered figure in Italian culture. Despite Mom’s importance, the Festa della Mamma isn’t deeply rooted and is not a major holiday in Italy. Even though it has great potential, it has not had wide commercial success.
Some families celebrate their moms, perhaps with a meal at home or in a restaurant, but others do not mark the holiday in any special way. At school, teachers talk about Festa della Mamma, and school children sometimes memorize a poem. Kids usually make a card or a small gift for their moms at school. As a mom, I always appreciate this sweet token of affection, so to all those teachers, grazie! Thank you!
A SONG FOR MOM FOR LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA
If you’re looking for a song to dedicate to your mother on La Festa della Mamma, look no further than this well-loved classic: Mamma.
Mamma was written by Cesare Andrea Bixio and Bixio Cherubini, and was originally recorded by tenor Beniamino Giglio in 1940.
It has since been recorded by numerous artists, including Claudio Villa, Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, and Connie Francis.
LA FESTA DELLA MAMMA: HISTORY
Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world, but different countries celebrate it on different days. Its modern incarnation was founded in the early 1900s by Anne Jarvis in the US. In Italy, La Festa della Mamma as we know it today has roots in the 1950s.
In 1956, a Ligurian mayor and senator Raoul Zaccari; and the president of a flower trade organization, Giacomo Pallanca; joined forces to create a Festa della Mamma celebration in Bordighera, Liguria, Italy.
Separately, in 1957, Don Otello Migliosi began celebrating a religious Festa della Mamma at his parish in Tordibetto in Assisi, Umbria.
In 1958 Zaccari co-proposed a law in the Italian Senate to designate the Festa della Mamma an official holiday. Though it was debated at length, the Festa della Mamma has been celebrated ever since– first on May 8, and now on the second Sunday of May.