The Origins of Mother’s Day in the UK
Mother’s Day in the UK has its origins in the 16th century custom of ‘Mothering Sunday’, which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent. That’s three Sundays before Easter, and the tie-in with the church calendar is why it’s always a bit confusing trying to work out when it is each year. Consequently Mothering Sunday is celebrated early this year. Mothering Sunday falls on different dates in different countries every year.
This year, Mother’s Day in the UK was celebrated on the 10th March.
As with most of our celebrations, Mother’s Day can be traced back to Greek and Roman times. The Greeks used their annual spring festival to honour Rhea, the wife of Cronus and the mother of many heroes of Greek myth. The Roman Spring festival of Hilaria was held to celebrate Cybele, a mother goddess. Offerings, games and parades began on the Ides of March and lasted for three days. Those Romans knew how to celebrate…
In early Christianity, the fourth Sunday of Lent was chosen to honour the Mother of Christ, and in England this celebration was soon extended to celebrate all mothers and renamed ‘Mothering Sunday.’ Servants, apprentices and others who worked away from home were encouraged by their employers to go home to see their mothers on this day, taking small gifts with them.
Strangely, the custom of celebrating Mother’s Day almost died out altogether in the 19th Century, but after World War II American servicemen brought back the custom to our shores, and it was soon seen as a good business enterprise to follow.
Mother’s Day today is celebrated in many countries, and is seen as the opportunity to thank mothers for their love and support throughout the year. The tradition involves bringing cards, gifts and flowers, and has become much commercialised.
What needs to be remembered is that mothers are there every day, not just on Mothering Sunday. They are the world’s very special people, and deserve love and appreciation every day they spend in our lives.
