Mothers Day In The UK
Today I am dedicating my blog post to all mothers in the UK – those that are still with us and those that are now departed. My mother passed away in 1995 – March 31st – so 19 years ago tomorrow. I still miss her so much and this song came to mind while I was thinking about her.
Some Facts About Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is when we all want to show our appreciation for what our mother’s have done for us over the years. But where did it come from and why?
- Mother’s Day can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honour of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods.
- Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent in England during the 17th Century.
- Mother’s Day was a time for relaxing and enjoyment during the long Lenten fast. Also historically, this special day was an opportunity for young servant girls who worked away from home to have the day of to visit their mothers. They would bake a Simnel Cake and take that as a present for them. Their gift to their mothers.
- During this time children as young as 20 years old would leave home and start work or take on an apprenticeship and Mother’s Day was the only time during the whole year that families could get together and that is why Mother’s Day became a public holiday in the 17th Century.
- It was also said that centuries ago people would return to their home of Mother Church just once a year during the period of Lent and this is where Mother’s Day came from.
- Now in Northern England and in Scotland, the most preferred snacks were Carlings – which are pancakes that are made of steeped pease fried in butter with an adding of salt and pepper. Still today some places still call this Carling Sunday !!
- With the Simnel Cake it was said that it was a way to test a girl’s skills as a cook !! If it stayed moist and kept its taste until Easter Sunday then she was classed as a good cook.
- It has been said that Mother’s Day is the largest event in the UK’s cut flower industry and I can well believe that ! Sales during this time soar by an average of 40% which is great news for florists …….
- It is also one of the most popular day of the year for eating out !! I went for a meal with my children today and I have to say I agree with that. Everywhere you looked it was packed full. I first thought people were just getting lazy for cooking on a Sunday …. alas no, it is because it is Mother’s Day …….
Anyway I hope all you mums had a good day and were spoilt rotten as was I. These are very precious moments we treasure when our children show how much they appreciate you.
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Comments
Very inspiring post Merle. Remembering and Appreciating our Moms. Mine too is gone. Thanks for sharing. Liked and Shared.