Festival facts: Mother’s Day

What is Mother’s Day?

Throughout the world, people set aside time to celebrate their mothers, thinking about all that they mean to them, what they stand for and what they stand up for. Mother’s Day is also known as Mothering Sunday. In England, Mothering Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Lent and was a Sunday set aside to return to ‘Mother’ church and for family reunions. The title ‘Mother’s Day’ reflects a more commercial, secular influence. In the United States, Mother’s Day has its origins in the call to mothers to peace and disarmament. The day itself was formally recognised in states throughout America in 1912.