Celebrate Mother's Day like you're in France. Moms everywhere will love a unique card with meaningful sayings and quotes en français.

Mothers are pampered on the second Sunday of May in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Australia. In case you missed the date, or just want to surprise and spoil a deserving mom, celebrate again with the French on the last Sunday in May*.

Mother's Day in France involves family, flowers, dinner, and cake. But most important is a heartfelt, thoughtful card. Whenever or wherever you honor your mother, you can use the "language of love" to express how you feel. Make your mother, grandmother, aunt, or other special mom a homemade French greeting card.

Materials

Gather some scrapbooking or art supplies and get creative making a spring-themed card:

• Colored paper
• Markers
• Paints
• Stickers
• Glue
• Glitter
• Family photos

Consider scrapbooking photos of Mom with the kids or grandkids, painting handprints and thumbprints, or making a collage of meaningful mementos. Personal touches will make this card a keeper.

Useful Mother's Day Expressions

Choose from these thoughtful French messages for your card:

• Bonne Fête des Mères -- Happy Mother's Day
• Joyeuse Fête des Mères - Happy Mother's Day
• À - to
• De - from
• Ma chère - my dear . . .
• Mère - Mother
• Maman - Mom
• Grand-mère - Grandmother
• Grand-maman or Mamie - Grandma
• Tante - aunt
• Je t'aime - I love you.
• Je pense à toi - I'm thinking of you.
• Tu me manques - I miss you.
• Tu es spéciale - You are special.

Quotes and Sayings About Mothers

Touch the heart of a special Maman with one of these quotes:

Le coeur d'une mère est un abîme au fond duquel se trouve toujours le pardon. - The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. By Honoré de Balzac, a 19th century French novelist and playwright.

Ma Maman est une Maman comme toutes les Mamans, mais voilà c'est la mienne.-My Mom is a Mom like all Moms, but she's mine. By Mick Micheyl, a French actress from the 1960's.

Maman tu es la plus belle du monde car tant d'amour inonde tes jolis yeux. - Mom you are the most beautiful in the world, for so much love floods your pretty eyes. By Henri Salvador, a French jazz singer and composer.

Une maman formidable donne toujours une grand-mère exceptionnelle. - A great mother always makes an exceptional grandmother. By French writer, Jean Gastaldi.

L'avenir d'un enfant est l'oeuvre de sa mère - The future of a child is the work of his mother. By Napoleon Bonaparte.

L'amour de ma mère était si grand que j'ai travaillé dur pour le justifier - The love of my mother was so great that I had to work hard to justify it. By Russian painter Marc Chagall.

Dieu ne pouvait être partout, alors il a crée la mère - God couldn't be everywhere, so He created mothers. (Jewish proverb)

Tendresse maternelle, toujours se renouvelle - A mother's affection is always new. (French proverb)

La main qui berce l'enfant est la main qui domine le monde - The hand who rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. By poet William Ross Wallace (original quote in English).

À l'oreille de tous les enfants "maman" est un mot magique. - To a child's ear, "mother" is magic in any language. By writer Arlene Benedict (original quote in English).

French-Themed Mother's Day Gifts

Although a homemade card is a gift in itself, Maman is sure to enjoy fine French items such as perfume, chocolates, wine, bath gels, French cookbooks . . . even airline tickets to Paris!

Bonne Fête des Mères.

For more ideas, read French Mother's Day Activities.

Sources for Quotes:

Bouquets-Fleurs-Livraison website

SitePourEnfants website

Fete-Meres website

*If there is a conflict with Pentecost, the French celebrate Mother's Day on the first Sunday of June.