Mother's Day

Mother's Day in United Kingdom, for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

United Kingdom	2018	2019	2020
Mother's Day	11th March	31st March	22nd March

Mother's Day, a day to honour our mothers

Mother's Day is a special day celebrated worldwide. Every year on the fourth Sunday in Lent, people show their appreciation to their mothers with gifts. This tradition has been going for about 400 years and is believed to have started in Britain when young people, who worked away from home, often working long hours, were given a day off by their employers, in order that they could return to their 'mother church' where they had been baptised, to spend time with their families. They would return home with small gifts such as flowers for the celebration.

Mother's Day is often confused with Mother's Day, which is held in the USA on the second Sunday of May. Although both celebrations are somewhat similar, their origins are different. In the USA, Mother's Day came about as a result of Anna Jarvis, who for many years, campaigned relentlessly for a national holiday in honour of mothers. She succeeded in 1909 and is now known as the founder of the Mother's Day holiday.

For most, Mother's Day and Mother's Day is a time for reflection, of thanking mothers today and in the past for all the good they have done and continue to do. The simnel cake, a rich fruit cake made with marzipan, is traditionally baked on Mother's Day. Originally young workers would take this home to their mothers. Over the years Mother's Day and Mother's Day has arguably become more commercialised, with shops taking over the many tasks that many of us used to do, such as hand made cards and presents. However as people still make a special effort to spend time with their mums on the day, Mother's Day and Mother's Day will continue to be a popular and much respected celebration of motherhood.