The History of Mother's Day

Mothering Sunday was also known as 'Refreshment Sunday' or 'Mid-Lent Sunday'. It was a day in Lent when the fasting rules were relaxed, in honour of the bible story 'Feeding of the Five Thousand'.

No one knows exactly how the name of Mothering Sunday began but some believe that the celebration came from the Roman Spring festival celebrating Cybele, their Mother Goddess.

As Christianity spread, this date was adopted by Christians and it is known that from about 400 years ago, on this particular date each year, Christians visited their nearest big church, know as the Mother Church. People who visited their mother church would say they had gone "a mothering."

Another tradition for this date is that young maids and servants in the houses of the rich and were only allowed one day to visit their family each year and this was usually on Mothering Sunday.

Often they would have to travel a long way to get home and the cooks for the big houses would let then make a cake to take back to their mothers or to take other gifts such as flowers from the garden. Mothering Sunday is also sometimes known as Simnel Sunday because of this tradition of baking Simnel cakes. The Simnel cake is a fuit cake covered with a layer of marzipan and decorated with 11 marzipan balls to represent the 12 Apostles minus Judas. It was not eaten on Mothering Sunday because of Lent but kept until Easter.

These Christian traditions of visiting church, spending time with families and giving gifts to our mothers, such as flowers, chocolates or jewellery continue today. A necklace, bracelet or earrings from our beautiful sterling silver floral collection would make the perfect thoughtful gift. Delivered free of charge in a gorgeous branded gift box.