Mother's Day is a special occasion to honour mothers and motherly figures. Their profound impact on an individual, a family and society is celebrated by means of gifts (to mothers) and seminars. But there a similar event is held in some parts of the world that has created confusion among people. It is called Mothering Sunday. While Mother's Day is celebrated in the US, Canada, Australia, most of Europe and India, Mothering Sunday is primarily celebrated in the UK.
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Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May - this year the day falls on May 12. Mothering Sunday, meanwhile, is observed on three weeks before Easter Sunday. In 2024, Mothering Day was observed on March 31.
History of Mother's Day
Activist Anna Jarvis, inspired by her own mother's dedication to humanitarian work, founded Mother's Day in the US in 1908. In 1914, then US President Woodrow Wilson officially designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
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Mother's Day holds immense significance as it provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the invaluable contributions of mothers to society.
The origin of Mothering Sunday
According to the BBC, during the Middle Ages, a custom developed that allowed people to who had moved away from their home or 'mother' churches, to come back and visit it and their mothers.
This later became Mothering Sunday in the UK. It is observed as part of Lent, a tradition under which people decide to give something up that they love - perhaps chocolate, sweets or even using social media.
As the dates of Lent vary each year, so does the date of Mothering Sunday. It is called Mother's Day in the UK, but has no connection with the American Mother's Day.
However, mothers are the central figure in celebrations on both days, which leads to confusion.
