Why is the british date for Mother's Day (25th March) different to the one in Austria, or the USA, or anywhere else in the world for that matter (13th May)?
Daniel Eberharter, Glasgow UK
- Because it's not "Mother's Day", it's "Mothering Sunday". March 25th (or the nearest Sunday) is nine months before December 25th (you work it out...) It was traditionally a day off for servants, who could use it to return home and visit their mothers, since they wouldn't get to see them during the rest of the year, on average.
"Mother's Day" in the US is a modern (20th century) invention, and the date used is the date of the inventor's mother's birthday. Since Christianity in Britain is a lot older than some American woman who was born in the 19th century, I'll stick with Mothering Sunday, thanks.
Jac, Oxford, UK
- This might not be true, and I don't have many details, but the UK mothers day is connected to Easter in some way. I think it's when servants were allowed to go home to visit their mothers. Well, that's what my mother told me. And in Argentina it's in October.
Vicky, Ilkley UK
- I can't speak for other countries, but the traditional British date for Mothering Sunday (not Mother's Day) is three weeks before Easter, the 4th Sunday in Lent. It is indeed the day when apprentices were allowed to go home. In earlier days it was a celebration of "mother church" - there would be a celebration at the mother or principal church of a city. Other countries evidently fix the day in a different way.
Clive Gordon, Ruislip UK
- Mother's Day in the US is always the second Sunday in May.
Amy, Ohio USA
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKafqbK0rc2dqK6dop6ytHvQrpyrsV9leXaDlGxjZmlobYV1eI9pZaGsnaE%3D