MUM'S THE WORD
When did Mother’s Day start and who invented it?
And there IS a difference between Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday
EVERY year mums across the UK are celebrated by their children and partners on Mother's Day.
However, as families commemorate the matriarchs in their lives, few people know about the true origins of the annual festivities.
1
When did Mother's Day start?
In the UK, Mother's Day is linked to Easter.
It is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, so is a movable date,
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday - and the earliest date this can happen is February 4.
Easter will then land on March 22.
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In the United States the celebration always takes place on the second Sunday of May.
The terms Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday are often used interchangeably but they actually have different origins.
The annual celebration started in the 16th century as a religious event where on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Christians would return to their mother church for a special mass.
Mothering Sunday was a celebration where servants were traditionally given a day off, and luxurious foods like simnel cake were baked and enjoyed, despite the relative restrictions of Lent.
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By the 20th century, Mothering Sunday had declined in popularity.
Britain’s cheapest shop where you can buy your mum a Mother’s Day card and gift for just 40p
That was until 1921 when Constance Penswick-Smith wrote a book entitled The Revival Of Mothering Sunday, after being inspired by America's official celebration each year called Mother's Day.
After this she founded the Society for the Observance of Mothering Sunday, and the day was reborn.
Who invented Mother's Day?
Anna Jarvis is credited with inventing Mother's Day in America, which then spread to the UK.
In 1908 she began campaigning for the creation of an official Mother's Day after originally being inspired to celebrate her own mother who was a peace activist during the American civil war.
By 1914 Anna had been successful in her mission, and then-President Woodrow Wilson commissioned Mother's Day as an official day in the American calendar, to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May every year.
How do we celebrate Mother's Day?
In the UK Mother's Day is celebrated in a wide range of ways.
Families with young children may encourage little ones to make breakfast in bed for their mum as a token of appreciation, or they may make Mother's Day cards at school.
Happy Mother’s Day from our family to yours.
Kate Middleton
Afternoon tea is a traditionally British way of celebrating Mother's day, and other families may opt to take their mum out for dinner, go to the cinema, or simply go for a walk.
Gifts, cards, flowers and chocolates are always well received by mums on Mother's Day.
But spending time with your mum on Mother's Day is often the best gift.
It's not just us civilians who celebrate this special occasion, the Royal Family get involved too.
In 2023, to commemorate the big day the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared two sweet family photographs.
Royal couple Princess Kate and Prince William took to the Kensington Palace Twitter account where they posted an adorable portrait of the mum-of-three sitting in a tree alongside their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
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In a second heartwarming portrait, Kate can be seen looking down and smiling at her youngest child, who she lovingly cradles in her arms.
Alongside the sweet snap, which was taken on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, the caption read: "Happy Mother’s Day from our family to yours."
What to buy this Mother's Day
Your essential guide to what get your mum this year:
- Tried and tested Mother’s Day gifts - click here
- Gifts that will really impress your mum - click here
- Top Mother’s Day gifts without breaking the bank - click here
- The best flowers to buy for your mum - click here
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