British Billy celebrates U.K. Mothering Sunday

Published March 14, 2012
By British Billy
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- You call them 'moms' and we call them 'mums', but whatever word we use, they are all our mothers.

American Mother's Day is always on the second Sunday in May, but in the U.K., Mother's Day falls on the fourth Sunday in the Christian season of Lent. This year, British Mother's Day - or Mothering Sunday, as we also call it -- is March 18. Since the date of Easter is not fixed, the date of Mothering Sunday changes every year.

To confuse matters further, although we usually call it by the same name, British Mother's Day has no connection with the American festival of the same name. Its origins go back many centuries before American Mother's Day began.

Most Sundays in the year, those who attend the Church of England (Anglican Church) worship at their nearest parish or 'daughter church'. Centuries ago, it was considered important for people to return to their home or 'mother' church once a year. So, each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their 'mother' church - the main church or cathedral of the area.

Inevitably, the return to the 'mother' church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home. It was quite common in those days for children to leave home for work once they were 10 years old.

Many historians think it was the return to the 'mother' church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers to take to church.

Traditionally, mothers would be given a simnel cake, which is just a fruit cake with marzipan on top. The fourth Sunday in Lent is still known as Simnel Sunday in some areas. In Northern England and Scotland, Mothering Sunday can also be called Carling Sunday after the tradition of presenting mothers with a sort of pancake, known as a carling, made of steeped peas fried in butter with pepper and salt.

Simnel-style cakes are also eaten at Easter when 11 balls of marzipan are placed around the top layer to represent the 11 true disciples, but the really good cake has a layer of delicious sticky marzipan in the centre. In modern times, chicks and bunnies are firm favourites on top of the cake too.

Of course, times change, and today the celebration of Mothers' Day in the U.K. has become similar to its counterpart in the United States; children will give cards, gifts and flowers to their mothers.

Maybe any American mothers stationed here in the U.K. deserve an extra treat and could have two days this year when they're made to feel extra special. You might even want to call them 'mummy'.