The spirit of Mothers Day

Today is the American Mothers Day (the British one is in the middle of Lent). It is worth remembering the spirit in which it was started. Mother's Day Proclamation by Julia Ward Howe - Mother's Day History:

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:

'We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.'

Happy Mothers' Day!

Happy Mothers' Day to all mothers.

In England, since at least the 17th Century, the Fourth Sunday of Lent was known as "Mothering Sunday". It was a day when mothers were honoured.

Servants who worked and normally resided in the homes of the wealthy were given the day off and encouraged to return to their homes and spend time with their mothers. A tradition arose involving the baking of special type of fruit cake, known as Simnel Cake, which would be shared both at home and at various gatherings. (The Fourth Sunday of Lent, complete with the very same cake, was also observed in some places as "Laetare (Rejoice/Refresh) Sunday".

It is said that the origin was because in the old Anglican prayer book the Epistle reading set for the Fourth Sunday of Lent was from Galatians 4, and contained the verse "But Jerusalem which is above is free; which is the mother of us all".

Another explanation is given that in the Middle Ages the Virgin Mary was honoured on this day, and that it was later extended to all mothers.

But whatever the origin, happy Mothers' Day to all mothers everywhere.