We generally refer to the fourth Sunday of Lent as Mother's Day but Mothering Sunday is the correct title. It falls on 15th, March this year. So where did it all begin?

The day can be traced back to Greek and Roman times. The Greeks honoured Rhea the wife of Cronus. The Romans held the spring festival Hilaria which was dedicated to Cybele.

Early Christians honoured the Virgin Mary on the fourth day of Lent. After the prayer service to the Virgin Mary, children would then present gifts and flowers to their own mums. The event was opened out to include all mums in the UK in the 1600s.

Constance Penswick-Smith, a vicar's daughter, launched the Mothering Sunday Movement in 1914. In 1921 she wrote a book asking for  the traditions of Mothering Sunday to be revived. There is a memorial to the revival in Coddington Church, Nottinghamshire.

For me Mothering Sunday is usually a busy day. It normally starts with cooking lunch for my mother-in-law and then I meet up with my sisters to have tea with my mother. This year I will also be photographing another special mum with her family on an environmental canal themed photo session.

If you would like to purchase vouchers for a present for your mother, or would like photos taken at our pop-up studio event on 14th, March, please phone us on 07927 515996.

Sources - http://www.mothersdaycelebration.com/mothers-day-history.html and Mothering Sunday by Gordon Giles.