Mothering Sunday

It’s Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom today. Mothering Sunday has been celebrated in much of Europe on the Fourth Sunday of Lent since the sixteenth century. Its origins may date as far back to a pagan celebration of the Roman mother goddess, Cybele. The first Mothering Sunday commemorations were more about visiting the church you were baptised in (your “mother church”) than celebrating mothers, but in later years this was the one day each year when boys and girls in service were allowed to go home to visit their mothers. (Imagine, only being allowed one day off a year, and one visit home!) More and more in the UK, this holiday is becoming more secular and is often referred to as Mother’s Day, just as it is in North America and other parts of the world.

There are a lot of people in the UK who feel that people in North America “hijacked’ Mother’s Day by celebrating it in May, and by celebrating the holiday largely as a secular thing. Actually nothing could be further from the truth. Unless you live in a very southern part of North America, March is hardly the time for celebrating this kind of holiday as the weather has the potential to be pretty awful. We often had snow in March when I was a kid in Canada and this makes travel difficult and dangerous. May, on the other hand, is when Spring is usually pretty much in full swing, a much nicer time of the year to get together and celebrate moms.




Today in my part of England, the sun is shining, spring flowers are bursting through and the flower pots on my patio are in full and glorious bloom. I know for a fact that while it may be sunny, it won’t be like that in Canada or much of the US today. So it is definitely not a case of hijack, rather much more one of practicality! Instead of arguing over the details of this celebration, or trying to claim it for our own, let’s spare a thought for those for whom this day is a hard one - those who have lost children, those who wanted children but could never have them, and those who miss their mothers, whether because of death or distance.

Since the death of my own mom, I find both Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day very bittersweet. On the one hand I have the most wonderful family, with a marvellous husband and son who are making today really lovely for me. I’ve had some beautiful cards, flowers and some rather scrumptious chocolates plus I’m looking forward to being taken out for dinner this evening. On the other, just like so many other people, I miss some amazing women who were a huge part of my life. For me, these include my Aunt Irene, my Aunt Trish, my wonderful Jenny and of course most of all my own fantastic Mom. I am forever grateful to all these women for how they helped to shape the woman I am today, and for the wonderful, wonderful memories I have of them.

Whatever you call today - or if today is just an ordinary day and Mother’s Day falls in May for you - I hope that it is a happy family day for you and that you are surrounded by those you love doing the things you enjoy the most.