Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to thank your Mum for all their love, hard work and support.

There is no fixed date in the calendar for Mother's Day as it is linked to Easter, which also changes annually due to the lunar calendar.

Mothering Sunday always falls on the fourth Sunday in the month of Lent, as it is linked to Easter, which also changes annually. Although we tend to call it Mother's Day it has no connection with the American festival with that name.

In 2017 Mother's Day falls this weekend on Sunday 26 March.

The History of Mother's Day?

In the 16th century in the UK it was the custom to visit your mother church once a year and this is how Mothering Sunday seemed to have evolved, as the majority of people visited in the middle of Lent. Most churchgoers used to worship at their nearest parish, also known as a 'daughter church', every Sunday. So Mothering Sunday was originally a celebration of the 'mother' church and not of motherhood.

Mother's Day was also a time for families to get together and children who were working, especially daughters who were often working as domestic servants, were given the day off to visit their family and especially mothers.

Historians seem to think that the children used to pick flowers on the way home and so now this has become the practice of children giving presents to their mothers.

In the UK Mother's Day has become a day of appreciation where mums are given flowers and other gifts as a sign of thanks. In the rest of the world it is celebrated on different days but most commonly in the months of March or May.

So Happy Mother's Day to all our Mothers!