Ah, mums. What would we do without them? Mothering Sunday is quickly approaching (27th March 2022), so so we thought we’d look back at the history of the big day – and why Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday aren’t actually the same thing…
The story begins in Ancient Greece, with a springtime celebration honouring Rhea, known as Mother of the Gods. Around that time, Ancient Romans were also partying in the name of the Mother Goddess Cybele.
In the 16th century, a Christian celebration of the Virgin Mary and all mother figures officially came into being on the fourth Sunday of Lent each year. Across Britain, children and young people working as domestic servants were given a rare day off so they could travel home and visit their mothers.
By the early 1900s, Mothering Sunday had fallen out of popularity across the British Empire. But across the pond, American Anna Jarvis had big plans for a brand new celebration of motherhood. Anna’s own mum, Ann Reeves Jarvis, had dedicated her life to helping mothers, setting up work clubs before the civil war to teach women how to care for their children.
When she died, Anna organised the first Mother’s Day celebration in West Virginia in remembrance. It was a huge success, and Anna began campaigning to get the day recognised as a national holiday across America. It was signed into law by President Woodrow in 1914, which prompted a resurgence of interest in Mothering Sunday traditions in the UK.
So maybe your local florist has an American to thank for their busiest day of the year…
Fun Facts
1. Mother’s Day is the biggest flower-buying day of the year in the UK, with an increase of around 70% compared with any other day of the year.
Check out these local Bristol florists for a beautiful bouquet worth ordering for the worlds best mum.
North Bristol – https://www.beausbouquets.co.uk
South Bristol – https://www.dongaysflorist.co.uk
And of course if you are based UK wide our recommendation has got to be for Bloom&Wild who’ll post flowers UK wide in a dinky box with how to arrange guide.
2. Cards are the most popular way to show your appreciation, with 30 million of them being sent through the post for Mother’s Day each year.
Check out Moonpig for some great cards.
https://www.moonpig.com/uk/mothers-day/
3. In 1920s France, women who had lots of children received medals for helping to rebuild the population after World War 1.
Ok so you’re probably not going to give your mother a medal which is a good idea really. It’s fair to say though, what mother’s want the most is quality time together…it is truly the best gift you can give on top of the flowers, balloons and chocolates.
Lastly don’t forget a few hugs and kisses. They make the world go round after all.
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Article Written by Zoe R and Georgina D.
Sources:https://heritagepost.org/american-history/anna-jarvis-the-founder-of-mothers-day/ – https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/parenting/mothers-day-2022-uk-mothering-sunday-history-best-flowers-gifts/
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