Sunday 22 March 2009

Mothering Sunday



There are violets in the hedgerow

Dare I pick some as I go?

I've a mile to walk, t'is very warm,

I daren't be late you know!

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I'm off to see my mother,

On this fine spring day,

All the birds are singing

As I skip along the way.

*

With nature all around me,

Below and up above

I long to see my mother,

To give her all my love.

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To thank her and to hug her

For always being there

She's made me who I am

So, yes I think I dare!

*

I'll remember mothers everywhere

As I walk the mile

But for mine, I take the best gift

My Violets..and my smile!

;-)

Sal... 22/3/09



The fourth Sunday in Lent is called Mothering Sunday and the traditions associated with Mothering Sunday in England, date back as long ago as the 16th century.
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On this day, people were encouraged to return to worship in their, ‘mother church', where they had been baptised. People who usually attended their local parish church, would make a longer journey to the ‘mother church’ or cathedral of the diocese.
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Girls in domestic service would bake to show their mothers their new skills in the form of a gift, traditionally a simnel cake. On this day, many girls who were in service, were allowed time off from domestic chores, to visit their mothers and their family.
Often, they would gather flowers from the hedgerow as they made their way to their homes.
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Nowadays, the original meaning of Mothering Sunday has been largely lost.
But we still celebrate Mothering Sunday, although perhaps not in quite the same ways as in days gone by.

18 comments:

  1. A lovely post Sal, and I wish you a very enjoyable day. JackieMx

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  2. Lovely, Sal:) I remember us children picking flowers in the local woods for our mums and taking them home in a straggly bunch - also the special service in the village church there were no special cards ar anything then. It is all so different now. Have a wonderful Mothering Sunday:)

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  3. Enjoy the sun and enjoy your Mum ... on this special day..!
    Sorry Sal.. my poetry is not up to your standard..

    Much love
    Michele xx

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  4. Happy Mother's Day Sal! I do love a piece of simnel cake!

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  5. So pleased to hear you call it Mothering Sunday, Sal - I do so hate the term Mothers' Day. Lovely poem and lovely flowers - so apt for the day. Happy Mothering Sunday to you too.

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  6. That's a lovely poem. I remember being told the story of Mothering Sunday every year in Sunday school!

    Things have evolved but the feelings are the same :)

    Mel xxx

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  7. Hi Sal,

    I just called my Mum to give her my love ~ unfortunately, I'm too far away to walk down the lane with a bunch of violets. I love the poem though.

    Marie x

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  8. Interesting post! Great poem.

    I never knew. Our 'Mother's Day' in Canada is in mid-May. It is bitter sweet for us, we are 450 km from kids and grandchildren.

    And since both my mother and my husband's mother died on that weekend. Very bizarre!

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  9. I's so glad you've drawn attention to Mothering Sunday. I still can't bring myself to refer to it as Mother's Day, just as I can't call the lavatory a bathroom or a napkin a serviette! And a glorious day for Mothering Sunday here in the UK, too. The daffs are waving their little heads in a gentle breeze in our garden where both Himself and I have been busy, tidying up after winter and planting acidanthera (they call it callianthus now on the label, but they are still acidanthera to me) and some Bishop of Llandaff dahlias - love their dark stalks and leaves as much as the scarlet flowers! What a lovely way to way spend Mothering Sunday ... card and chocs from our sons, breakfast in bed, lunch also made for me (prawn curry, which we enjoyed in the garden.) It doesn't get better than this, such simple pleasures and yet so enjoyable.
    Margaret Powling

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  10. What great verse! Are you a poet, and don't know it! Hasn't it been a lovely day for all mums? The weather continues to be glorious. I have violets flowering in my garden, they really are so pretty, I love them, even though they self seed everywhere! I recently looked up the origin of Mothering Sunday, such lovely sentiment. Happy Mother's Day to you Sal. x

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  11. How lovely, beautiful poem!
    The photos are really pretty.
    Enjoy Mothering Sunday!
    Take care
    Isabelle x

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  12. A nice post to show us how today originated... rather than it just being a prime opportunity for Clinton Cards!!!

    Victoria xx

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  13. I hope you had a lovely day Sal.

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  14. I intended to comment earlier but time just slipped away
    I am a traditionalist as much as the next man/woman and I am fully aware of the origins of Mothering Sunday
    However I would suggest that there should be latitude to call it either Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day.
    Why not? Why should we not have a special day to celebrate what is most special to each and everyone of us, our mothers. We have a Father's Day after all.
    Sticking with tradition is fine but it does predispose that one is religious and of a particular faith
    All I know is that from my earliest age I looked forward to picking wild flowers for my mother on this day and did not pay the slightest heed to the fact that there was a different meaning to the day
    Long live the innocence of children rather than the pedantry of grown ups

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  15. Great post Sal - I didn't know some of that! I hope you were spoiled on Mother's Day too. The sunshine was glorious wasn't it? x

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  16. I loved your poem Salx Happy Mother's Day (belatedly!) Love Salx

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Thank you for taking the time to comment! ;-)