In the USA, Mother’s day was popularised by Ana Jarvis who campaigned to have the day recognised following her own mother’s death. Her campaigning was so successful that in 1914, President Woodrow made Mother’s Day into a National Holiday to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
Mothering Sunday in the UK is a Christian festival. Each year it always falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent and by tradition it was a day when children gave presents, flowers and cards to their mothers. Mothering Sunday has been celebrated in the UK since at least the 16th century.
Mothering Sunday was also known as Mid-Lent Sunday or Refreshment, because in the old days Sunday when boys were apprenticed from about ten years old and many girls went into service from about the same age, they were allowed a day off to go home and share a meal with their family. Mothering Sunday falls in the middle of Lent and so the fasting rules were relaxed (some say in honour of the Feeding of the Five Thousand - a story from the Bible). Besides having a good meal, children also went home to the ‘Mother’ church.
Another name for Mothering Sunday is Simnel Sunday. That comes from the tradition of making a special cake called a Simnel Cake. There are plenty of Simnel Cake recipes but very few that explain why it has 11 marzipan balls decorating the top of the cake. They are supposed to represent 11 apostles (Judas, who betrayed Christ, is already removed).
Although Mothering Sunday in the UK is regarded as the equivalent of Mother’s day in the USA, it falls on a different day every year depending on when Lent starts. And, in the UK people still give cards, flowers and gifts to their mothers, just as Mother’s Day is celebrated in the USA
Fiona Maclean is an Entrepreneur and Website owner who lives and works in London UK. For more about Fiona, please check her website The Virtual Marketing Company