Mea Culpa! Like many things in France, the rule that Mother's Day is the last Sunday of May has exceptions like this year (2009) when it actually falls on June 7.
I found out I had the date wrong when I called my mother in the afternoon on past Sunday and she broke the news to me.
It seems the exception to the rule happens when the last Sunday of May happens to be the Pentecost religious holiday.
Good thing is I was not late and I did not forget about it.
As Kelby Carr notes in Celebrate a Second Time with France's Fête des Mères
(About.com), American and other expat moms who live in France get treated to 2 Mother's Day in a year.
I learned from her piece that the Fête des Mères (Mother's Day) was inaugurated by Napoleon and made official in 1950.
If you look at the Mother's Day 2009 Calendar from Women Living Abroad the holiday takes place at many different times of the year depending on the country.
Other countries that share the last Sunday of May Rule with France are Algeria, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Maritius, Morocco, Sweden, Tunisia.
Argentina waits until October 18 for the Dia de la Madre while Mongolia has the The Mothers and Children's Day on June 1.
Korea and Albania treat it as Parents Day on May 8.
Did I miss something?
Related: Le Roux, Basil and Tomato or Pepper and Strawberry, Mother's Day Chocolates in France