Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday has been celebrated in the UK on the fourth Sunday in Lent since at least the 16th century. Mother’s Day in the UK is the equivalent of Mother’s Day in many other countries.

Dates that Mother’s Day fall in the next few years…

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Mother’s Day is a chance to say thanks for all the things our mothers do for us and is always the fourth Sunday of Lent. Most countries use the United States date of the second Sunday in May while others choose 8 March which is International Women’s Day. Mother’s Day in America is in May and does not change months from year to year like Mother’s Day/Mothering Sunday does in England.

Celebrating Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom

The equivalent of Mother’s Day in many other countries is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom. This is the most special day for celebrating the life and love which mothers give to their children.

When is Mother’s Day?

The date of Mother’s Day always changes since it is relative to other holidays on the calendar of the United Kingdom. Mother’s Day is always held on the 4th Sunday of the Lent season. This corresponds with Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom being three weeks before Easter Sunday. This places the date of Mother’s Day in the UK around the middle of March or so.

Celebrations in the United Kingdom

Many families in the UK celebrate the holiday with traditional parties and events. One of these includes the baking and service of special cakes given to mothers. Children often wake up early on the morning of Mother’s Day in order to have enough time to prepare for the baking and preparation of the cake in order to make it as fresh as possible.

While some families really enjoy keeping the celebration classic like this, others have modernised it to the point of it being similar to other holidays on the UK calendar. This means that children may be able to take their mothers out to dinner or lunch as part of the celebrations. In addition, shopping together has become a fun activity for many mothers to do with their children.

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What are your thoughts on Mother’s Day / Mothering Sunday?

Have you got something to say about Mother’s Day/Mothering Sunday? If so please email us  your thoughts for inclusion below.

Mothering Sunday is “old fashioned”
I have asked quite a few British people what they call this holiday, and they all said ‘Mothers Day’.  They said that Mothering Sunday is “old fashioned” and that their grandmother would have used that name.  I think it is ok in the church to modernise to still honour this name… Mothers Day.  I know that we want to keep old traditions in the church, but sometimes we have to move with the times and the body of people that we are trying to reach in order to modernise.  To me, this is one small change that is ok.The people that I asked had no idea the origin of Mothering Sunday, or the meaning of it.
T. Lewis

Dilution of the true meaning of Mothering Sunday

Just thought I’d share my thoughts.

I just read your description for Mothering Sunday, though not particularly religious I felt that there should be some sort of clarity in your post as Mothers day and Mothering Sunday are actually separate celebration though held on same day in the UK which seems to have been muddled up over the last few decades, Mothering Sunday is traditionally the 4th Sunday in lent that you return to your mother church within your area while Mothers day is a commercial enterprise originating in the UK in the 50s using the same date.

Regards Kerr

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A major point you missed…

A major point you missed in the presentation on Mothering Sunday, and which contributes to Church Legend MIS-information, is that the NAME is based on the Gospel for the day [Book of Common Prayer] which contains the lines:
«Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all…»

Only recently has the parallel been concocted between the Fourth Sunday in Lent and its «pet name» and Mothers’ Day which started as an American «special day» in churches which do not have a Liturgical Kalendar with its roster of saints’ days, leading to such inanities as «The Third Sunday after Lightbulb Wednesday» as an ascerbic Anglo-Catholic friend of mine puts it.

While I do not deny the existence of «celebrations of mothers» happening on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, I DO want to see the «this is Mothers’ Day in England» apologists stop adding to the already massive body of erratum which constitutes «Church Legend».

Ladysmith, BC

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