Contents
Mother’s Day 2026. Is it also mother-in-law’s holiday?
Mother’s Day is one of the most beautiful holidays in the Polish calendar, associated with the smell of lilacs and warm wishes. In 2026, this special date falls on Tuesday, May 26. Although for most of us the purpose of this day is obvious – honoring our parents – every year the same dilemma arises in many homes. What about your spouse’s mother? Should the mother-in-law also answer the phone that day with best wishes, or would such behavior be overzealous?
Social pressure and the desire to maintain good family relationships often make daughters-in-law and sons-in-law feel lost. On the one hand, we want to be nice, on the other – we do not always feel such a close bond that we call this day a common holiday. Resolving this issue requires looking at both the principles of savoir-vivre and the individual situation in a given family. There is no one hard and fast rule, but there are tips that will help you make the right decision without unnecessary stress.
What about savoir-vivre? A short etiquette lesson
From an etiquette point of view, the matter is quite clear. According to the traditional rules of savoir-vivre, there is no strict obligation to wish your mother-in-law on Mother’s Day. In the light of law and customs, a mother-in-law is a relative by blood, not our mother. This is an important distinction that relieves the burden of expectations from people who feel uncomfortable in this situation. Lack of special wishes from a daughter-in-law or son-in-law is not treated as a social faux pas or evidence of lack of culture.
It is also worth remembering that there is another, dedicated holiday in the Polish calendar. We celebrate Mother-in-law’s Day on March 5 and this date is the most appropriate moment to celebrate the relationship with your husband or wife’s mother. Separating these two occasions allows you to maintain the intimate nature of Mother’s Day, focusing on your own parent, and at the same time gives you space to appreciate your mother-in-law on a day that is dedicated exclusively to her role in the family.
When is it worth making wishes and when should you let go?
Of course, the rules of etiquette are only a framework that life fills. The key factor when deciding on wishes on May 26 should be the closeness of the relationship. If we have a very cordial, even friendly relationship with our mother-in-law, and we call her “mom” every day, missing her on Mother’s Day could be perceived as coldness. In close-knit families, where the boundaries between kinship and affinity are blurred, a nice gesture is simply an expression of sympathy.
The situation is completely different in families, where contacts are official, distant or limited to sporadic meetings during holidays. In such a case, forcing wishes may cause mutual embarrassment. If we don’t feel the natural need to call our mother-in-law with flowers on May 26, it’s better to skip it. Authenticity in family relationships is much more valuable than rigid adherence to unwritten, often misinterpreted customs.
The safest way out of the situation. How to avoid a faux pas?
So how can we find the golden mean if we want to be polite but don’t want to overdo it? The safest and most recommended solution by experts is to join your spouse’s wishes. When your husband calls his mother or goes to visit her, it’s a good idea to simply say “warm regards from me too.” This is a signal that we remember our mother-in-law, but at the same time we respect the hierarchy of this holiday, in which the spouse is the main character paying tribute to his mother.
If you are planning a joint dinner around May 26, a small, non-binding gesture is a good idea. A bouquet of flowers placed on the table or a kind word said over coffee are enough to express respect. This compromise avoids artificiality and creates a warm atmosphere without violating the rules of etiquette. Let us remember that in interpersonal relationships it is the intention that counts – a small, sincere gesture will always work better than the most sophisticated but forced words.
Recommended article:
