Ajooma

Mothering Sunday is a British holiday. In modern times it is essentially equivalent to Mother’s Day, which latter name is also increasingly used, but this is a recent development, and its history is quite different.

Mothering Sunday did not begin as a celebration of motherhood, but a synonym of Laetare Sunday in the Christian liturgical calendar. During the sixteenth century, people returned to their “mother church” for a service to be held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This was either a large local church, or more often the nearest Cathedral. Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone “a-mothering”, although whether this preceded the term Mothering Sunday is unclear. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, if prevented by conflicting working hours.

That may be the historical origins, but now it’s can be just as commercial as America. Of course, I don’t celebrate this holiday at all, but now that I have a mother-in-law who does, I can justifiably blog about it. So, what happens? Usually a card, maybe some flowers & chocolate. I think lots of people call home too. I can’t think it’s a real holiday, because I’m so use to May 8th, and celebrating both parents, not just mothers. Even if you need a special day for a mass coordinated thank you, it’s not enough. Mums really are the best. Thanks Mom!