Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is a festival that is celebrated throughout Europe. It is mainly a Christian festival that is observed on the 4th Sunday in Lent. Over the years, it has become a day to celebrate motherhood.

Mothering Sunday is a term that one can often hear in relation to mother's day. It falls on the fourth Sunday in the Lent season. Today, this holiday has a different meaning, which is fundamentally to honor mothers. It is interesting to explore facts about the history of mothering Sunday. Mothering Sunday is also known as 'Simnel Sunday', 'Refreshment Sunday' and 'Rose Sunday'. The day is named Simnel Sunday as on this day a Simnel cake was baked to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent. The date of Mothering Sunday varies from one place to another depending on when Lent and Easter falls.

Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of the Christian season of Lent. Although the exact origin of Mothering Sunday is unknown, the general belief among historians is that sixteenth century church goers used to visit their "mother church" on this day. The mother church was considered to be the largest or the biggest cathedral in their area. It was important for the church goers to visit the mother church instead the local 'daughter church' that they usually attended for regular Sunday service. This tradition was known as 'mothering'. Traditionally, it was celebrated as a day when domestic maids were relieved from their services for one day, to let them go back home to meet their mothers and other family members.

In Britain, Mothering Sunday can be traced back to the 16th century. Although, the day was celebrated to honor the Madonna, later the celebration expanded to honor the "mother church". On this special day, the restrictions of Lent were relaxed and families reunited by celebrating. Hence, the day is also known as 'Refreshment Sunday'.

This traditional day is now celebrated on a large scale and has become highly commercialized. As a part of Mothering Sunday traditions and customs, kids present their moms with exquisite homemade cards and other gifts. Also, it is a day when men and women go to THE mother church to offer prayers. A couple of centuries ago, it was a trend where everyone had to go to visit mother church or the main church once a year.

It is also known as 'refreshment holiday', because after a long period of fasting, there is a relaxation in the rule for one day. The main food item consists of yummy mouthwatering Simnel Cake, which is basically a fruitcake with an almond paste topping on it. Enjoy mothering Sunday with your dear mother and let her know how precious she is.