21 February 2008

Mothering Sunday or Mothers' Day?

Mothering Sunday in the UK is different from Mothers' Day in other countries, not only in name but also as a moveable feast. I believe it is important to hold on to a name, so that we can identify with our roots and understand why we celebrate certain special days at different times each year.

Should Mothering Sunday be called Mothers' Day?
Should Christmas be called Xmas?
Should Easter be called Chocolate Egg Day?

Below is a comment left in our guestbook. .

"Mothering Sunday is the old-fashioned name and was the way it was known many years ago. On flowery greetings cards in the UK, you do still see Mothering Sunday quoted, but it's mostly just Mother's Day. "

Mothering Sunday is British and has been around longer than ' Mothers' Day' in America. Like Boxing Day, there is a special reason why we call it Mothering Sunday.
You can find out why on our website
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/easter/mothers.htm

Should the British call it "Mothering Sunday" or should they adopt the American name "Mothers' Day" like they have adopted many other American words?

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a
Posted by at 22:53
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28 comments:

  1. It should be called
    Mothering Sunday not Mothers Day. We are slowly losing our heritage and we should uphold our traditions and be more patriotic as well.
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  2. 'Mothering Sunday' sounds a bit clumsy, old fashioned and stuffy - if we insist on this it is more likey to die off and be absorbed into the American Mother's Day which is in danger of becoming just a festival for the Card manufacturers
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  3. Mothering Sunday or Mothers Day, what differene does it make. The important issue here is that children remember the unconditional love of a mother for her child.
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  4. It is a Christian festival. It is a celebraton of the mother Church (ie Cathedral).
    It was later adopted as a day to thank mums.
    I feel it is important to remeber that it is called Mothering Sunday and why it is. I do refer to it as Mothers Day too but usually only to say that Mothers Day is on Mothering Sunday.
    Let's keep British and try an keep American words out of our vocabulary!
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  5. so many people are loosing their roots, our traditions are being swallowed up by our increasing desire to be just like the americans,as if we could regain our lost freedoms in this way. We should teach our children to be proud of these freedoms, by all means have a mothers day in May, how about returning to us the 1st of May holiday, that has been sneaked away, and having the first May Sunday as Mothers Day
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  6. I agree that it is distressing to see so much of our culture being Americanised, but I think the tradition of Mothering Sunday was actually helped by American troops in post-war Britain, as Mother's Day was such an important day in the US and it was beginning to fade away in England (presumably as there was so much else to think about!)

    Mr Robertson
    Otley All Saints Primarty School
    www.otleyallsaints.co.uk
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  7. Mothering Sunday does have a history that should be remembered. However today's life doesn't reflect that of when it was introduced. For this reason it is reasonable to use the day for remembering our mums but also the fact that many people do not have a mum or one with stereotypical motherlike qualities. For this reason, communities should know that all churches provide ready made families and that they exist for all people, Christian and non-Christian, for all who seek love and caring and somewhere to belong.
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  8. If people want to celebrate Mother's Day as they do in America, that's fine, but then why don't they celebrate it on its correct date in May? The moveable date in March is Mothering Sunday.

    One big advantage of the name Mothering Sunday: no apostrophe is needed! Most places seem to use "Mother's Day", yet surely it's a day for all mothers, so should be "Mothers' Day"? I've also seen "Mothers Day".
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  9. It is Mothering Sunday. I object to Mothers' Day. I write and complain to the likes of M & S and Waitrose, to no effect. It is our Christian heritage and should be preserved.
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  10. If we drop the name Mothering Sunday, we will no longer have any link to the true meaning and roots of this day.

    As a Leader with a large youth movement, we ask our members to attend Church parade on the first Sunday in each month. Many of our parents have told us that the children cannot come this Sunday as it is Mothers day. We had explained to the young people what Mothering Sunday menas, and where the tradition dates from. Now we have received complaints from some families who say that we are distorting things and trying to take Mothers day away from mums.

    in response to:

    Anonymous said...
    by all means have a mothers day in May, how about returning to us the 1st of May holiday,
    February 24, 2008

    We do have a holiday at the begining of May for May Day.

    Am I right in thinking that the USA celebrate Mothers Day in May as it is known in some churches as Mary's Month in honour of the mother of Christ?
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  11. I just wish it would be on the same day every year. Or better still, have it coincide with the American Mother's day!

    I live in the States, so not only do I have to buy my mum a card almost a year in advance, whilst they're in the shops for the American day, I also have to remember when I've put it AND remember what day it's supposed to fall on.

    After last year it being on the 26th of March, I'm afraid I've already blown it this year by just realizing that it's this coming Sunday and my card is not in the post as of today. Very frustrating!
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  12. The fact that America does something would be as good a reason as I can think of to not do it.
    The Americans cannot spell, have no language of their own and have no tradition since they have only been there a few minutes.
    Mothering Sunday, whilst the correct term, is a good example of old fashioned English.
    Mothers' Day is the modern term and probably the best on to use. The apostrophe is after the "s" because it is for all Mothers, not a particular mother.
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  13. @anonymous: first you have a go at the Americans for not having a language or culture of their own, then you propose using the American term that has replaced Mothering Sunday. Would you also use more "modern" spellings or words such as color, sidewalk, etc.? "Mother's Day" (sic) is an American term that has been picked up by British people in the same way as "train station" (urgh!) I can't understand why you would have a rather xenophobic disliking of Americans on one hand, while proposing use of American English on the other.

    Celebrating Mother's Day on the date of Mothering Sunday is akin to British people deciding to celebrate Thanksgiving on 25 December!
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  14. Mothering Sunday is always the 4th Sunday in Lent. It is not the same feast as "Mother's Day", that falls on May 11th in 2008.
    Mothering Sunday MUST NEVER be called "Mother's Day" as they are completely different events.
    Mothering Sunday is when church congregations in outlying areas of parishes worship in the 'Mother Church' of the parish, an event that occurs once a year on the 4th Sunday in Lent.
    "Mother's Day" is an artificial event created by the greetings card industry to boost sales in a quiet period. It has no religious significance at all.
    Our Mothers should be appreciated all year round, but that has nothing to do with Mothering Sunday.
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  15. Mothering Sunday may have its roots in celebrating the Mother Church, but you have to accept that things change. The fact is now, most people in England use the day to celebrate and give thanks to mothers everywhere (as we did in my Sunday school as a child).

    I don't see why we should change the day to May - and we'd be sure to lose sight of the original 'Mothering Sunday' anyway in that case! At least the conflict means the true roots won't be forgotten.

    And as for 'anonymous' who said:
    "I object to Mothers' Day. I write and complain to the likes of M & S and Waitrose, to no effect."

    Are you really surprised?! People, please accept that change happens and is not something to be feared! Why not celebrate the good things about Mothering Sunday (or Mothers / Mother's / Mothers' Day) and forget about petty details?
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  16. Times do change, which is why Mothering Sunday has become a day to thank our mothers, rather than to visit the "mother church". I for one have no interest in any religious activities, yet at the same time recognise that Christian traditions form the roots of many aspects of our culture (even Richard Dawkins admits that). Christmas is a prime example - it has nothing to do with religion for many British people, yet is almost universally observed, in many cases as a secular day of celebration and a rare chance for families to get together. As I said, calling Mothering Sunday "Mother's Day" is like calling Christmas "Thanksgiving" but still celebrating it on 25 December.

    Move with the times, yes. But why does that have to mean adopting American words and terms for things, instead of our own historical names?

    Ironically, the fine, American-made calendar I have hanging on my wall calls 2 March "Mothering Sunday". Mother's Day is shown on its correct date in May.
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  17. I prefer "Mothering Sunday" and I like the fact that it is still less commercialised than the American equivalent.
    Most mothers still get a simple bunch of flowers
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  18. i found the comment about churches providing a family for those who have no mothers or whose mothers cannot care effectively .. really helpful..
    we dont choose our mothers you get what you get and that might mean abuse or poverty or bereavement.. but we can choose to ensure that all children and all people are cared for .. in lots of little ways churches provide this care to people and in big wasy too by supporting movments for peace and justice fair trade and sesitive aid giving like christian aid
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  19. I just wish that if they call it Mothers' Day they would remember the apostrophe!
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  20. Why can we not celebrate both days, the first, "Mothering Sunday" in honour of our mother church, the second, "Mother's Day", in honour of our mothers?
    As a British born Canadian member of the Anglican Communion, I really can't see what all the fuss is about!
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  21. I was brought up to understand that Simnel cakes were named after Lambert Simnel, the leader of an uprising in early Tudor times, who was sent to the Royal Kitchen by the King as a punishment and there invented the cake that was later named after him.
    David Gibbs
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  22. As a U.S. citizen with some disdain for the commercialization of our "Mothers' Day," I encourage U.K. citizens to hold onto their culture. Also, as a woman without children, I'm largely left out of "Mothers' Day," but could see myself as part of "Mothering Day." I read the history of your holiday and was very impressed (as U.S. folks usually are with anything older than 250 years!).
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  23. I am a British citizen who has lived in the U.S. for more than 17 years (sadly). I feel that it is very important to hold on to original meaning of "Mothering Sunday". So many holidays have become commercialized to the point that in California the shops start advertising Valentine's day as soon as the Christmas decorations have gone. The whole meaning of these celebrations is lost, and it just becomes another chore..."Oh bother I need to write Christmas cards", or "Got to rush, I have to find something for Mother's day".

    We need to step back a moment and look at the reasons for the holidays so that we can celebrate them honestly. Despite living abroad for so long, I have tried to maintain as many English traditions as I can (we always have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and I hide silver charms in my Christmas pudding).

    Keeping traditions does reinforce patriotism, but it also creates unique memories.

    Thank you for this delightful website. It is a little piece of home that I can enjoy until I return.
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  24. Mothering Sunday, Or, Mothers Day. Whats The Difference Really? The Younger Generation Would Call It Mothers Day Whereas People With Older Mothers, It Would Be Common For Them To Call It Mothering Sunday. As Longs As Its Celebrated, Either Does The Trick!
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  25. I feel the original meaning is being lost - not many non-Christians know that mothering Sunday is a religious date or that the mothering refers to the church rather than a parent and I liked the comment about celebrating Mothers' Day ON Mothering Sunday, keeping both celebration of church AND mothers alive. This also allows people who are not mothers, or whose own mothers are dead, to feel less bereft or left out and still able to celebrate on a lovely happy day.
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  26. Today is Mother's Day in the USA. My comment is not so much about the Mothering Sunday in the UK (though I am very impressed by its orgin and manner of historic celebration); rather, I would like to share an article about women:

    To Trust A Woman

    http://www.husbandwife.net/trustwoman.html

    It is my prayer that all of you in the UK had a wonderful 2008 Mothering Day.

    Also, I would like to share this article about the UK:

    The Great UK
    http://uk.geocities.com/cwmpage

    Thanks.

    Pastor Page from the USA
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  27. Definitely we should keep to the traditional day. It's a pity that we don't make more of our special traditions. "Mother's day" has become just another reason for having to spend money on a card and it would be nice to make a bigger deal of the flowers and cakes.
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  28. My mother in law who is not very religous hates the term mothers day and we find it increasing difficult buying cards for her with Mothering Sunday on l try and get my mother one as well but sometimes thery are abit mushy and as l was not a perfect child l usually get a funny one which are all mothers day

    In our church the children are always given floweres to take home either fresh or silk that have been made into a small display
    as a weekly church goer it is no hardship going to church on Mothering Sunday and l love it if l have to write the prayers as l pray for mothers who do not want chocs and flowers but a phone call from missing children to say they are safe and well and for those whoose children have died where it is not as joyus occasion that the rest of us enjoy
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