The Roman festival listed among older mother-related traditions not directly tied to modern Mother's Day is Hilaria.
Hilaria was celebrated on March 25 in honor of Cybele, the Great Mother or “mother of the gods,” and was associated with the myth of her consort Attis. The festival formed the joyful climax of a longer cycle that included mourning, fasting, ritual observances, and celebrations of Attis’s return to life.
Roman Hilaria was not the origin of the modern American holiday. The U.S. observance developed in the early 20th century through Anna Jarvis’s campaign, culminating in President Woodrow Wilson’s 1914 proclamation of the second Sunday in May. The older Roman festival is mentioned as a parallel tradition honoring motherhood, not as a direct institutional predecessor.
A common mix-up is Saturnalia, another famous Roman festival. Saturnalia honored Saturn and was held in December, while Hilaria belonged to the spring religious cycle connected with Cybele. Floralia likewise honored the goddess Flora, and Lupercalia was associated with fertility and purification.