Random Word Wisdom—Mother’s Day
Technically, we’re talking two words, not just one.
Mother’s and Day.
So, why is there an apostrophe s in Mother’s Day but not in Veterans Day?
Rumor has it that Mother is intended to be singular—each family honors its own mom, you see—and the word Mother’s is used in possessive form. The day belongs to each mother, not a bunch of mothers.
The word Veterans, however, is used as an adjective to describe the day. There is no possession here. The day does not belong to veterans, it honors veterans.
Here are some more holidays to consider—can you figure out the conventions used with these?
Father’s Day
Presidents’ Day
Valentine’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day
April Fool’s Day
New Year’s Day
And it’s Daylight Saving Time—not Daylight Savings Time.
