Le Bain by Mary Cassatt.
The idea of celebrating a Motherly figure has been around since the Ancient Greeks. The Greek God Rhea, the mother of the six oldest Olympian Gods and Goddesses, was celebrated every spring with festivals and worship. In Ancient Rome Cybele, the Great Mother of all Gods, every March as far back as 250BC.
Mothering Sunday
Virgin and Child. 1660.
In the UK, beginning in the Middle Ages, Mothering Sunday was on the fourth Sunday of Lent and was originally a day to honour the Virgin Mary. Families were required to visit their 'Mother Church' (the church you had been baptised in) and the day became a way for many families to reunite as workers would be given a rare day off.
Mothering Sunday was also known as 'Refreshment Sunday' as it was mid-way through Lent and fasting was relaxed for the day so families could enjoy a meal together.
Eventually, this turned into a celebration of all Mother's but lost popularity by 1935. It was boosted throughout Europe during the Second World War when American and Canadian soldiers celebrated their Mother's Day.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day has been celebrated in the US on the second Sunday of May after Anna Jarvis from West Virginia pushed the president of the time to create a holiday to celebrate all mothers after the death of her own in 1908.
Mothering Buns
A little extra knowledge for you...
'A speciality of Bristol, these are made by local bakers the day before Mothering Sunday... The buns used to be decorated with caraway or aniseed; today, hundreds and thousands are used.' Check out the recipe at https://www.thesimplethings.com/blog/2015/3/11/recipe-mothering-buns
Hope you enjoyed this small nugget of knowledge and happy Mothering Sunday to all those who are celebrating!