Sunday is Mother’s Day.
Half of Norwegian men either plan to mark the day, or pay attention to their own mother or partner.
This is shown by a new survey Norstat has carried out for Danske Bank.
The most common thing to give is flowers, followed by gifts. But not everyone is as excited.
ROSERS: Many Norwegian mothers can probably expect flowers on Mother’s Day on Sunday. Photo: Reuters/Luisa Gonzalez.
Don’t want to spend money
20 percent do not want to spend money on Mother’s Day, but feel they have to.
At the same time, just as many men feel guilty if they do not buy something for their partner on Mother’s Day.
– This is not so surprising. There are many who can feel both pressure to buy and expectations from partners and others, says psychologist Frode Thune.
He says that when anniversaries like this come up, men in particular may feel that they have to stand up.
PSYCHOLOGIST: Psychologist Frode Thuen works a lot with couples. He is not surprised that some people feel pressured for Mother’s Day. Photo: Pål Schaathun / TV 2.
– It’s a bit the same with Valentine’s Day. You feel that you have to do something. That pressure is probably stronger in men than in women, says Thune.
Women know more about pressure to buy
The survey from Danske Bank shows that more women than men feel the pressure to buy on Mother’s Day.
Every fourth woman experiences pressure to buy, while every fifth man does the same.
– This may probably be connected to the fact that many women also spend money on this day. Either to their own mother or partner who is the mother of their child. There are many markings in the course of a year, and many feel a pressure to buy, says consumer economist Thea Olsen at Danske bank.
In contrast, only ten percent of women feel that they must spend money this day. For men, the proportion is 20 per cent.
GIVING ADVICE: Thea Olsen at Danske Bank believes that Mother’s Day does not have to be an expensive affair. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
Olsen believes that the pressure to buy is linked to expectations, but that the general price increase in society should be a good enough reason to close your wallet.
– We are in a time where a great deal has become more expensive, while at the same time we are going through a year with many markings. Mother’s Day is a day where there is no need to spend a single penny. But it must of course be up to each one, she says.
Mother’s role most important
Psychologist Frode Thune believes it is important to remember why we celebrate Mother’s Day.
– It is a day where you should honor your mother, not so much your partner. So you can rather sit down with the children and make something or write a nice card for mother, says Thune.
He believes many mothers will be happier with such attention than a material gift from a partner.
Many shops advertise with gifts for Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day next week, this weekend. Photo: Bjørnar Morønning / TV 2
This supports the consumer economist.
– If there is one celebration a year, which does not have to cost a penny, it is Mother’s Day. The day is about showing love and gratitude to someone who means a lot to you or the children, and it can be completely free, says Thea Olsen.
She believes that coffee in bed, a letter to the family with some nice words or giving a mother of young children the opportunity to sleep a little longer can be just as nice attention.
