Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday: A History
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Mother’s Day is generally considered to be a day spent in celebration of the work done by mothers in raising their children. This year it fell on the 6th March – but where exactly does the event come from?
Well, the British Mother’s Day, which is held on the fourth Sunday in Lent, is officially known as Mothering Sunday, and originated in the sixteenth century as a celebration of mothers – much as it is today.
However, the modern, secular version of Mother’s Day, as observed in America and much of the world, originated in the 1920s after Anna Jarvis, a West Virginian whose mother died in 1905, began campaigning for a nationally observed celebration of mothers. However, she quickly became disillusioned with the event as it spread, particularly targeting gift card companies who produced soulless pre-made cards.
These days in Britain, Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday are largely interchangeable, but they are in fact two entirely separate things. However, they are both united by one thing: the appreciation of the work done by mothers in raising their children.