Mother's Day facts you should know

New Delhi: Almost 5,00,000 women in the world will become mothers on Mother's Day, 2012.

There is a custom of wearing flowers in southern USA on Mother's Day. If a girl or woman is seen wearing a pink or red flower, it is assumed that her mother is alive. On the other hand, a white flower stands to signify that the girl or woman's mother is dead. Carnation is the official flower.

The United States National Retail Federation estimates consumers will spend $18.6 billion on Mother's Day this year, about $152.52 for the average person celebrating the holiday.

Tokyo has more mothers than any other city in the world.

Hallmark has been producing Mother's Day cards since 1920.

In India, mothers in government and most private undertakings are eligible for 12 weeks of maternity leave with full pay. In Norway, a new mother gets 36 weeks of the same.

Mothers of more than 30,000 children who 'disappeared' during the military rule in Argentina demonstrate every year since 1977. The sons and daughters of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo were picked up by military intelligence on the pretext of having links with leftist groups after the military disposed off the elected civilian government. No trace of them has been ever found. There are similar organisations in Chile, El Salvador. They have influenced singers and bands like U2, Sting, Joan Baez an otherd to pen and perform songs in the honour of their missing children. According to unconfirmed reports, most of the sons and daughters were dropped in the high seas with their hands and legs tied from navy ships and military helicopters and aircraft.