Mothering Sunday - wikipedia Mothering Sunday Not to be confused with Mother 's Day. Mothering Sunday Observances Visiting the church in which one was baptised, honouring one 's mother Date 4th Sunday in Lent 2016 date 6 March 2017 date 26 March 2018 date 11 March 2019 date 31 March Frequency annual Related to Laetare Sunday, Lent Mothering Sunday is a holiday celebrated by Catholic and Protestant Christians in some parts of Europe. It falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Day. Once observed as a day on which people would visit their `` mother '' church, it has also become an occasion for honouring the mothers of children and giving them presents. It is increasingly being called Mother 's Day, although that has always been a secular event quite different from the original Mothering Sunday. In the UK and Ireland, Mothering Sunday is celebrated in the same way as Mother 's Day is celebrated elsewhere. Contents 1 History 2 Names 3 Other 4 Cakes and buns 5 See also 6 References 7 External links History Saint Paul 's Church, the parish church of New Southgate, England During the 16th century, people returned to their mother church for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday ; in this context, one 's ' mother church ' was either the church where they were baptised, or the local parish church, or the nearest cathedral ( the latter being the mother church of all the parish churches in a diocese ). Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone `` a-mothering '', although whether this term preceded the observance of Mothering Sunday is unclear. In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members. It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, since on other days they were prevented by conflicting working hours, and servants were not given free days on other occasions. Children and young people who were `` in service '' ( as household servants ) were given a day off on that date so they could visit their families ( or, originally, return to their `` mother '' church ). The children would pick wild flowers along the way to place in the church or give to their mothers. Eventually, the religious tradition evolved into the Mothering Sunday secular tradition of giving gifts to mothers. By the 1920s the custom of keeping Mothering Sunday had tended to lapse in Ireland and in continental Europe. In 1914, inspired by Anna Jarvis 's efforts in the United States, Constance Penswick - Smith created the Mothering Sunday Movement, and in 1921 she wrote a book asking for the revival of the festival ; Constance was the daughter of the vicar of Coddington, Nottinghamshire, and there is a memorial in Coddington 's church. Its widescale revival was through the influence of American and Canadian soldiers serving abroad during World War II ; the traditions of Mothering Sunday, still practised by the Church of England and Church of Ireland were merged with the newly imported traditions and celebrated in the wider Catholic and secular society. UK - based merchants saw the commercial opportunity in the holiday and relentlessly promoted it in the UK ; by the 1950s, it was celebrated across all the UK. People from Ireland and the UK started celebrating Mother 's Day on the same day that Mothering Sunday was celebrated, the fourth Sunday in Lent. The two celebrations have now been mixed up, and many people think that they are the same thing. Mothering Sunday remains in the calendar of some Canadian Anglican churches, particularly those with strong English connections. Names Gregorian dates for Mothering Sunday Year Date 21 March 2005 6 March 2006 26 March 2007 18 March 2008 2 March 2009 22 March 14 March 2011 3 April 2012 18 March 2013 10 March 2014 30 March 2015 15 March 2016 6 March 2017 26 March 2018 11 March The other names attributed to the fourth Sunday in Lent include Refreshment Sunday, Pudding Pie Sunday ( in Surrey, England ), Mid-Lent Sunday. Simnel Sunday and Rose Sunday. Simnel Sunday is named after the practice of baking simnel cakes to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent. Because there is traditionally a relaxation of Lenten vows on this particular Sunday in celebration of the fellowship of family and church, the name Refreshment Sunday is sometimes used, although rarely today. Rose Sunday is sometimes used as an alternative title for Laetare Sunday, as is witnessed by the purple robes of Lent being replaced in some churches by rose - coloured ones. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia asserts that `` the Golden Rose, sent by the Popes to Catholic sovereigns, used to be blessed at this time, and for this reason the day was sometimes called ' Dominica de Rosa '. '' This Sunday was also once known as the `` Sunday of the Five Loaves '', from the traditional Gospel reading for the day. Prior to the adoption of the modern `` common '' lectionaries, the Gospel reading for this Sunday in the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Western - Rite Orthodox, and Old Catholic churches was the story of the feeding of the five thousand ( for instance, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer stipulates St John 's Gospel 6 : 5 -- 14 ). Other The Epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent as set out in the Book of Common Prayer and The 1962 Missal of Roman Catholic Church give a special place to the theme of maternal love : Galatians 4 : 26 states that `` Jerusalem which is above is free ; which is Mother of us all. '' Another tradition associated with Mothering Sunday is the practice of `` clipping the church '', whereby the congregation form a ring around their church building and, holding hands, embrace it. For some Church of England churches, it is the only day in Lent when marriages can be celebrated. During the church services held many churches give the children in the congregation a little bunch of spring flowers to give to their mothers. Cakes and Buns Simnel cake is a traditional confection associated with both Mothering Sunday and Easter. Around 1600, when the celebration was only held in England and Scotland, a different kind of pastry was preferred. In England, `` Mothering Buns '' or `` Mothering Sunday Buns '' were made to celebrate. These sweet buns are topped with pink or white icing and the multi-coloured sprinkles known as `` hundreds and thousands '' in the UK. They are not widely made or served today in the UK but in Australia they are a bakery staple, not related to any particular celebration. In Northern England and Scotland some preferred `` Carlings '', pancakes made of steeped peas fried in butter. See also Father 's Day Homecoming Laetare Sunday ( cf. Gaudete Sunday ) Matronalia, dedicated to the fertility of married women Mother 's Day References ^ Jump up to : `` Mothering Sunday '', BBC, retrieved 4 March 2010 ^ Jump up to : Cross F.L. & Livingstone E.A. ( 1974 ), `` Mothering Sunday '', Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, OUP CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter ( link ) ^ Jump up to : David Self ( 1993 ), One hundred readings for assembly, Heinemann Assembly Resources, Heinemann, pp. 27 -- 29, ISBN 9780435800413 ^ Jump up to : Irish Culture and Customs, Bridget Haggerty Jump up ^ Archives suisses des traditions populaires ( Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Volkskunde ), 52, 1956 Jump up ^ Michael Bache, Mothering Sunday. Constance Penswick Smith -- ( 1878 -- 1938 ), Coddington ( Notts ) History Group Jump up ^ The revival of Mothering Sunday, : Being an account of the origin, development, and significance of the beautiful customs which have entwined themselves... true and ancient day in praise of mothers, Macmillan Publishers, 1921, ASIN B00086O8I6 ^ Jump up to : Ronald Hutton ( 2001 ), The stations of the sun : a history of the ritual year in Britain ( illustrated, reprinted ed. ), Oxford University Press, pp. 174 -- 177, ISBN 0 - 19 - 285448 - 8 Jump up ^ Owen Spencer - Thomas, How Mothering Sunday became Mother 's Day, Diocese of Ely ^ Jump up to : Mandy Barrow ( 2010 ), Mothering Sunday. The UK 's version of Mother 's Day, woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk ( original location ) Jump up ^ Catholic Encyclopedia ( 1913 ) Jump up ^ `` CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA : Golden Rose ''. Jump up ^ `` Mothering Sunday ''. Religion & Ethics. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2006. Jump up ^ 簡世華 ( 2005 ). 寂天 文化, ed. Western Holidays and Festivals / Jie qing Ying yu yuan lai ru ci ( in Chinese and English ). Taibei Shi : Ji tian wen hua shi ye you xian gong si. p. 133. ISBN 9789575856755. External links Mothering Sunday on RE : Quest BBC Mothering Sunday Catholic Encyclopedia : `` Laetare Sunday '' How Mothering Sunday was revived in East Anglia Mothering Sunday ( Woodlands Junior School, Tonbridge, Kent ) Mothering Sunday ( The Children 's Society ) Liturgical year of the Catholic Church Based on the General Roman Calendar ( 1969 ) Advent Advent Sunday Immaculate Conception ^ Gaudete Sunday ( O Antiphons ) Christmastide Christmas ( Nativity of Jesus ) ^ Holy Family Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God ^ Epiphany ^ Baptism of the Lord Ordinary Time I Presentation of Jesus at the Temple ( Candlemas ) Saint Joseph 's Day ^ Feast of the Annunciation ( Carnival ) Lent Ash Wednesday Laetare Sunday Holy Week : Palm Sunday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday ( Mass of the Chrism ) Paschal Triduum Maundy Thursday ( Mass of the Lord 's Supper ) Good Friday Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Cross, Holy Communion Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Eastertide Easter Sunday : Resurrection of Jesus Octave of Easter ( Divine Mercy Sunday ) Feast of the Ascension ^ Pentecost Ordinary Time II Trinity Sunday Corpus Christi ^ Sacred Heart Visitation of Mary Saint John the Baptist Feast of Saints Peter and Paul ^ Transfiguration of Jesus Assumption of Mary ^ Nativity of Mary Feast of the Cross All Saints ' Day ^ All Souls ' Day Presentation of Mary Feast of Christ the King Legend ^ = Holy days of obligation ( 10 ) Catholicism portal See also : Computus Liturgical colours Solemnity Older calendars : General Roman Calendar of 1960 General Roman Calendar of Pope Pius XII of 1950 General Roman Calendar of 1954 Tridentine Calendar Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mothering_Sunday&oldid=799039196 '' Categories : British culture Irish culture Church of England Lent Sunday observances Holidays based on the date of Easter Movable March observances Movable Western Christian observances Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Uses authors parameter CS1 Chinese - language sources ( zh ) EngvarB from July 2016 Use dmy dates from July 2016 Infobox holiday with missing field Infobox holiday ( other ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 5 September 2017, at 08 : 04. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did mothering sunday start in the uk
Answer: the 16th century