Faith, family, and custom gifts: Why Mother's Day gifts are getting personal

Faith, family, and custom gifts: Why Mother's Day gifts are getting personal

Mother’s Day is one of the biggest holidays in the U.S., and as families seek more purposeful ways to celebrate, spending patterns are evolving. For 2025, the National Retail Federation projected spending to reach $34.1 billion, with 84% of adults planning to celebrate. While flowers (74%), cards (73%), and outings like dinner or brunch (61%) remain popular, celebrations are becoming more personal. In this article, PrayerSong examines the traditions surrounding Mother’s Day and the trends toward personalized gifts.

For Many Families, Mother’s Day Starts in Church

Mother’s Day consistently ranks among the highest-attended Sundays of the year, trailing only Easter and Christmas, according to Lifeway Research, which surveys Protestant pastors annually. That pattern emerges across denominations and geography, reflecting a long-standing tradition of honoring mothers through worship first, before the day's other celebrations begin.

The reasons for this are tied to how parents see themselves. Pew Research Center found that most American parents say being a parent is one of the most important aspects of who they are, with mothers often taking a leading role in their children’s religious upbringing. That dynamic helps explain why the holiday holds deeper significance for many families.

How Families Spend Mother’s Day Together

After the church services are over, Mother's Day draws families to the table, with restaurant dining being a large part of the holiday. In 2024, the National Restaurant Association reported that 43% of consumers planned to celebrate Mother’s Day at a restaurant. Over half of respondents said they chose restaurants because they want to pamper their mother figures.

Yet, mothers rate one simple thing higher than everything else: time with their kids. According to a YouGov poll, 60% of mothers want to spend Mother’s Day with their children.

The Rise of Personalized Mother’s Day Gifts

That preference for presence over purchases may partly explain a broader trend for how people shop for Mother's Day. In recent years, there has been an increased demand for personalized and custom gifts, especially among younger generations. Etsy’s Seller Trend Report: Mother’s Day 2025 forecasted interest in handmade and customized items around the holiday. Additionally, 42% of respondents said they were planning to find a gift that creates a special memory, according to the 2025 National Retail Federation survey.

Economic pressures have played a role too. As inflation has pushed the cost of everyday life higher, many shoppers are choosing to spend more thoughtfully, opting for gifts that tell a story or hold sentimental value.

How to Choose Meaningful Gifts for Mother’s Day

That trend toward thoughtful spending is also influencing the types of gifts people choose. Rather than purchasing from a store, many are looking for items that hold sentimental value or can be experienced again over time.

For children wanting to give something that lasts longer than a single Sunday, here are gift options worth considering this Mother's Day:

• Custom song: An original composition built around a mother’s life story, faith, or family history—something that can be revisited over time.
• Personalized jewelry: Pieces engraved with names, dates, or symbols that carry specific meaning.
• Photo book or digital photo frame: A curated collection of memories presented as something worth keeping.
• Handmade crafts: Painted pottery or hand-stitched quilts for those whose love language is Acts of Service.
• Experience gifts: A family cooking class, spa day, or weekend trip centered on what mom actually enjoys, time with her kids.
• Faith-based gifts: Devotional journals, study Bibles, religious art, or meaningful inspirational literature.
• Wellness gifts: Self-care sets or relaxation-focused experiences that create space to rest and recharge.
• Subscription gifts: Monthly Book clubs, meal kits, or streaming services that continue beyond the holiday.

Making Mother’s Day Memories

Mother's Day has always been a holiday of heartfelt expression and finding ways to say what is otherwise left unsaid. The traditions around it have altered over the decades, from handwritten notes to mass-market gifts to the current trend toward the custom and lasting. What hasn't changed is the impulse behind it: to mark the day in a way that is meaningful. For the mothers who receive a gift that does that, one Sunday in May can lead to a memory that lasts a lifetime.

This story was produced by PrayerSong and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.