Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday is the special day that signifies the bond of a mother with her child. It is a sweet way to honour your mother and show how thankful you are to her for bringing you into this world.
Mother’s Day in the UK keeps changing annually. In 2018, it was celebrated on March 11th. However, in 2019, it will be celebrated on March 31 while in 2020, it will be celebrated on March 22nd and in 2021, it will be celebrated on 14th March, all of the dates being Sundays.
This day is more than just the bond of love that you have for your mother and it is way more than the silver and pewter gifts and presents that you buy for her.
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Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday?
The fourth Sunday in Lent is considered as the Mothering Sunday – it is celebrated three weeks before Easter – it is a day where European Christians shower their mums with presents.
Although Mother’s Day has become the more popular term these days, the reason for celebration is the same.
Why do we celebrate Mother’s Day?
The practice of Mothering Sunday started in the 16th century when people had to return to their ‘mother church’ or the main church in a diocese or parish for performing the Church services on the fourth Sunday in Lent.
This day was considered as a leave day for servants so that they could visit their families and their mother church and it was a tradition to collect flowers on the way home that would be kept in the church or given to the parents as presents.
However, by 1920, this day turned out to be a general gift-giving day as the religious aspects started to fade out.
But, by the end of 1950, Mothering Sundays were back in business because of the commercialization of this particular day.
What About in Other Countries?
Mother’s Day is celebrated in various ways in different parts of the world.
1. France
The celebrations in France are similar to the ones in the US but the tradition started in 1950. Before that, there were a few other ways to give proper recognition to women who had contributed to giving birth to children in order to restore the population of the country after World War I. In fact, it was after World War II that the French government decided that the last Sunday in May will be celebrated as Mother’s Day unless it clashed with the Pentecost. In such cases, Mother’s Day was celebrated on the first Sunday of June. It became a tradition to make a flower-shaped cake as an offering to the mothers.
2. Japan
Mother’s Day in Japan became popular after World War II and it is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Pink or red carnations are often gifted to mothers. Children make sketches of their mother and prepare their favourite dishes on that day.
3. Sweden
Sweden celebrates Mother’s Day on the last Sunday in May and the dates are almost similar to the ones that are followed in the US. Children make cards and breakfast for their mother. They also sell red plastic flowers and collect money. This money is donated to the needy children and their mothers.
4. Mexico
Mother’s Day is very popular in Mexico. The 10th of May is the fixed date on which Mother’s Day is celebrated and almost the entire country, apart from the restaurants shut down. Every family has a grand lunch on Mother’s Day and more than 200,000 waiters get employed because of this holiday and the rush in the restaurants.
Manuel Gutierrez, the president of the national association of restaurateurs said that the mother is considered as an institution in Mexico. They are the ones who cook for us, clean for us, work for us, and it is our duty to give her at least one day of freedom and take her out so that she can enjoy a meal cooked by someone else.