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Date Published 01 March 2017

Mothering Sunday is a day to show love and appreciation to all mums everywhere and although we all celebrate the day, very few people actually know its history.

Records suggest that Mother's Day celebrations in fact date back as far as the ancient Greeks who would hold festivals every spring to celebrate Rhea, the Mother of the Gods and Goddesses.

Traditionally, Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent in the UK and Ireland but many countries follow the US and celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday in May. Like many traditions, Mothering Sunday began with a religious purpose of giving thanks to the Virgin Mary. The celebrations required people to visit their 'Mother' church and in the 16th century, reunited families and gave children who worked away from home as domestic servants or apprentices the opportunity to have the day off to join their family.

Whilst Mothering Sunday was very popular for many centuries, by 1935 it started to be celebrated less and less in Europe until World War Two struck. The Americans and Canadians celebrated Mother's Day during the war, giving thanks to their mothers whilst they were away fighting. The day took off again in Europe when vicar's daughter Constance Smith founded the Mothering Sunday Movement and pushed for the day to be officially marked in England. By the 1950s it was celebrated throughout Britain and businesses realised the commercial opportunities.

Nowadays, Mothering Sunday is a huge day where numerous gifts and cards are purchased and families get together to celebrate Mothers all over the country.

Whatever you have planned this year, make sure you pamper your mums and have a great day from all of us at Taylor Gibbs.