As someone who has read many British books and watches programs from the UK, I have heard and often wondered how “Mothering Sunday” compares to Mother’s Day as observed in the US. I also wondered if Mother’s Day was a “Hallmark holiday,” or if it had other, older origins. So, with the passing of Mother’s Day a few days ago, I decided to look into it. Maybe you’ve wondered as well.
Mothering Sunday (UK)
The origins of Mothering Sunday can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when people who had left their families to work elsewhere returned to their home, or “mother” church on the 4th Sunday of Lent. This might be the church where they were baptized, or the local parish church, or the nearest cathedral. Travelers who did this were said to have gone “a-mothering,” which may have influenced the term, “Mothering Sunday.”
In later times, “Mothering Sunday” became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their own mothers and other relatives. It was often the only time that whole families could gather during the year.
Young people would sometimes pick wildflowers along the way to place in their home churches or give to their mothers, which likely led to the modern tradition of giving flowers to mums.
Mother’s Day (US and 40+ other countries)
In America, Mother’s Day is observed on the second Sunday of May. Apparently, it has no connection to Britain’s Mothering Sunday. The US observance began due a tireless campaign by Anna Jarvis, a woman from the state of West Virginia whose own mother had desired the creation of such a day. West Virginia declared it official by 1910, and the rest of the states soon followed suit. President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day an official national holiday in 1914.
Early traditions typically included attending church, family dinners, and the giving of simple carnations.
Sadly, shortly after the official launch of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis began to regret her efforts, especially when she saw florists raising prices near the big day and candy and card companies focusing on profits instead of the reverential family observance she had intended. (See, I knew Hallmark came into play there somewhere. 😊)
Conclusion
While their origins are different, Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday are now celebrated in very similar ways, often with gifts for mom, a thoughtful card, and perhaps a special dinner as a family.
So, here’s a belated “Blessed Mother’s Day” to every Mom—whether Stand-in Mom, Would-be Mom, Struggling Mom, Cat-Mom, Dog-Mom, and anyone else I may have missed. ♡
Sources:
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Lovely post!
I was interested to learn about the origins of the UK and US celebrations! Thanks for sharing your research. 🙂
Thank you for this information. I just recently heard about Mothering Sunday.
I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. And Happy Mother’s Day!
Thanks for this article, Julie – I always wondered if there was a connection, too! As a mother of a parakeet, I didn’t get any flowers on Sunday… 😉