Mother-in-law Day is an annual holiday celebrated in Poland on 5 March.
The holiday established in the 1980s was created to demonstrate the daughter-in-law’s or son-in-law’s appreciation and respect for the mother-in-law (the wife’s/husband’s mother) for her involvement in parenting, running a shared house, and so on.
Who is more important? Mother-in-law or świekra?
According to Polish tradition, mother-in-law meant the wife’s mother, while świekra meant the husband’s mother. There used to be a frequent dispute over who was more important, ie., the mother-in-law or świekra.
In the old custom, it was the married wife who moved in with her husband’s family and it was the świekra who was more important. The mother-in-law, because she lived separately, did not have as much power as her husband’s mother. (bimkal.pl)
Nowadays, however, children do not have to spend their lives under the watchful eye of the ‘mother-in-law.’ Although it is the mother-in-law who is often the negative figure of anecdotes and jokes that portray them as spiteful, nagging women who must always be right. However, life proves that mothers-in-law are also wise and understanding women who want happiness for their children.
Mother-in-law Day in the USA
In the USA, Mother-in-law Day is celebrated on the 4th Sunday in October, alongside National Grandparents Day.
“Since 2002, on the fourth Sunday of October, families have celebrated Mother-in-Law Day. (We're sure that its proximity on the calendar to Halloween is completely coincidental.) A lot of jokes have been written about mothers-in-law, but many couples rely on you — their "other mothers" — for childcare, holiday meals, and even financial support,” one can read on grandparents.com.