While some countries have a multi-century history of celebrating mothers, the modern American version of the holiday didn't begin until the early 20th century when Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother's Day service of worship and celebration at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, which serves as the International Mother's Day Shrine today.

Everyone knows that giving flowers on Mother's Day is a time-honored tradition, but did you know that carnations are the official Mother's Day flower? Pink carnations represent gratitude and love. Dark red carnations signify love and affection. And white carnations are traditional flowers to wear in remembrance of a mother who is no longer living.

According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the most popular day of the year to eat in a restaurant. In a survey conducted by the association, 51 percent of mothers said they prefer to eat out on the holiday because they do most of the cooking at home and dining out gives them a much-needed break.

The average age of first-time mothers has risen dramatically since 1972, when it was 21. Today, the average first-time mother is 27 years old.

According to Pew Research Center data, about one in four, or roughly 24 percent of mothers in the U.S. are raising kids without a spouse or partner.

Serbia has what is probably one of the most unusual Mother's Day customs. Children creep into their mother's bedroom first thing in the morning and tie her up! In order to be released, it is customary for mothers to bribe their children with treats. However, it should be noted that mothers aren't the only ones tied up on their special day. A week earlier, on Children's Day, children are tied up and must agree to behave before they are released.

The Romans celebrated Hilaria on March 25 in honor of Cybele, an Anatolian mother goddess known as Magna Mater ("Great Mother"). The manner of celebration during the time of the republic is unknown, except that Valerius Maximus mentions games in honor of the mother of the gods. At the time of the empire, there was a solemn procession, followed by all kinds of games and amusements, including a masquerade.

Ann Reeves Jarvis was a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War. She and Julia Ward Howe (author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") spent years campaigning for the creation of a "Mother's Day For Peace" where mothers would ask that their husbands and sons were no longer killed in wars. After Ann's death in 1905, her daughter took up the fight, and the first American Mother's Day was celebrated in 1907 at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1908, the U.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother's Day an official holiday, joking that they would also have to proclaim a "Mother-in-law's Day". But just six years later, in 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating that Mother's Day be held on the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.

In the first month of life, newborns average up to 8 to 10 diaper changes per day. And over the first three months (the newborn stage), babies go through about 700 diapers.