Send Flowers on Mothers Day.

The History of Mothers Day in the UK

See also General Mother's Day Facts

Most Sundays in the year churchgoers would worship at their nearest parish or "daughter church".

In olden times it was considered important for people to return to their home or "mother" church at least once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would visit their "mother" church.

As the return to the "mother" church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away from home returned. (It was quite common in those days for children to leave home to work in service from ten years of age.)

The majority of historians think that it was this 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. This special day has now become a time when people give thanks to their Mothers and offers an opportunity to express both love and thanks for the work that they do. The most poular way of expressing this love and thank is to Send Flowers on Mothers Day.


Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship - which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus - was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (March 15) to March 18.

In the United States, Mother's Day was originally conceived by social activist Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war. She wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation. In the British Isles, the day now simply celebrates motherhood and thanking mothers. In most countries, Mother's Day is a new concept copied from western civilization. In many African countries, Mother's Day has its origins in copying the British concept. In most of East Asia, Mother's Day is a heavily marketed and commercialised concept copied straight from Mother's Day in the USA.


Mothers Day Dates Around the World - 2008

Feb 10th	Norway
Mar 3rd	Georgia
Mar 8th	Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Vietnam. (This is also International Women's Day)
Mar 2nd	United Kingdom, Ireland (This is the 4th Sunday of Lent)
March 20th	Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen - (This is also the Vernal or Spring Equinox)
Apr 7th	Armenia
May 4th	Hungary, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain
May 8th	South Korea
May 10th	El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore
May 11th	USA, Anguilla, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
May 12th	Brazil
May 25th	Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Poland, Sweden
May 26th	Poland
May 27th	Bolivia
Aug 12th	Thailand
Aug 15th	Costa Rica
Nov 30th	Russia
Dec 8th	Nicaragua, Panama