Mother's Day dining: did you know?

— According to the National Restaurant Association's Holiday Dining-2000 survey, 38 percent of Americans choose to celebrate Mother's Day by dining in one of the country's 844,000 restaurant-and-foodservice outlets - up eight percentage points from 1996.

— Mother's Day is the second most popular holiday or occasion to dine out, following only birthdays (55 percent). The third most popular holiday/occasion to dine out is Valentine's Day at 32 percent.

— The survey indicates that dining out on Mother's Day is more common among larger families-almost half (43 percent) of adults in households consisting of three or more individuals eat a Mother's Day meal at a restaurant, compared to about one-quarter (24 percent) of those who live alone. Those living in households with children under 18 are more likely to dine out than those who live in households without children.

— According to the survey, Mother's Day restaurant celebrations are more common in the southern region of the country. Forty-three percent of individuals in the South eat a Mother's Day meal at a restaurant, compared to 32 percent of those in the Northeast.

— "Treating mom to a special meal is an excellent way to show appreciation for all she has done," said Steven C. Anderson, the Association's president and chief executive officer.