Mother’s Day 2024: What is the date for Mother’s Day this year and what is its history?

Mother’s Day is a day to honour the mother of the family along with motherhood, maternal bonds and influence of the female role models in society.

The day is celebrated on different dates depending on the country, most often in the months of March or May.

The tradition of Mothering Sunday started in the 17th century - here is everything you need to know about the celebration.

When is Mother’s Day in 2024?

The UK celebrates Mother’s Day on the Fourth Sunday in Lent and is rooted in the religious Mothering Sunday celebration.

It was initially unconnected to the international Mother’s Day celebrations and it is thought that Mothering Sunday developed from a medieval practice of visiting someone’s mother church every year on Laetare Sunday.

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, March 10 in the UK.

History of Mother’s Day in England

England was the first country in the world to establish a day to honour mothers from the 1600s.

The origins of the celebration are rooted in the practice where poor people in England send their children to work as domestic servants or apprentice with the rich.

During this period, it was crucial that these children, who stayed away from their families, were allowed to visit their homes once a year.

This annual day happened to fall in the middle of Sunday of the fasting period of Lent (which takes places from Ash Wednesday to Easter) and because of this, it was called ‘Refreshment Sunday’ or ‘Mid-Lent Sunday’.