Costa Rica chose August 15 for Mother's Day because it coincides with which feast?

Costa Rica chose August 15 for Mother’s Day because it coincides with the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

The date is both a national celebration of mothers and a major Christian feast commemorating the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed into heaven. That religious association helps explain why Costa Rica uses a fixed August date rather than the second Sunday in May, the pattern followed in the United States and many other countries.

Costa Rica’s modern observance grew from a school-based initiative. In 1927, Evangelina Solís founded an event at the Nicolás Ulloa School in Heredia to honor students’ mothers, linking maternal recognition with children’s academic achievements. The celebration spread nationally and was established by law in 1932.

A common mix-up is confusing the Assumption with the Annunciation. The Annunciation marks the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would bear Jesus; the Assumption is the August 15 feast associated with Costa Rica’s Mother’s Day.