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Yorkshire Times
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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
12:21 PM 13th March 2021
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Mother's Day In Lockdown

 
Mother's day is a day once a year when we celebrate mothers and all that they do for us. A mother's love is unconditional and always there for us. Mother and child form a strong bond which is eternal.

What about lockdown

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, 12 months on and we're in lockdown, social distancing, and elderly parents are self-isolating so keeping them away from family and loved ones.

However from March 8th there is a small change to the outdoor exercise rules and we are allowed to meet one other person outdoors in a public place so you could have a picnic or a coffee on a park bench.

But if your mother is in a care home one person would be allowed to visit provided they had a negative Covid test and wear PPE.

All family celebrations of Sunday lunch and afternoon teas have had to be cancelled once more. For many it will be a virtual mother's day, keeping children and grandchildren at a distance.

A Mother's Love by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.


History of Mother's Day

In the 16th century in the UK it was the custom to visit your mother church once a year and this is how Mothering Sunday seemed to have evolved, as the majority of people visited in the middle of Lent.

Most churchgoers used to worship at their nearest parish, also known as a 'daughter church', every Sunday. So Mothering Sunday was originally a celebration of the 'mother' church and not of motherhood.

Mother's Day was also a time for families to get together and children who were working, especially daughters who were often working as domestic servants, were given the day off to visit their family and especially mothers.

Historians seem to think that the children used to pick wild flowers on the way home and so now this has become the practice of children giving presents to their mothers and usually a bouquet of flowers.

When is Mother's Day/Mothering Sunday?

There is no fixed date in the calendar for Mother's Day as it is linked to Easter, which also changes annually due to the lunar calendar.

Mothering Sunday in the UK always falls on the fourth Sunday in the month of Lent, as it is linked to Easter, which also changes annually.

Although we tend to call it Mother's Day it has no connection with the American festival with that name, which is celebrated in May.

In the UK Mother's Day has become a day of appreciation where mums are given flowers and other gifts as a sign of thanks.

In the rest of the world it is celebrated on different days but most commonly in the months of March or May.

Some inspiring quotes on mothers:

Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had, and dealing with fears you didn't know existed - Linda Wooten

Motherhood: All love begins and ends there - Robert Browning

God could not be everywhere, so therefore he made mothers - Jewish Proverb

A mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled - Emily Dickinson

All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother - Abraham Lincoln


In 2021 Mother's Day or Mothering Sunday (which is its correct title) is this coming weekend on Sunday 14 March 2021.

A mother's love is unconditional and always there for us.

Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to thank your Mum for all their love, hard work and support, so don't forget to treat her and thank her for being there for you.

Make sure that your mother knows you love her by phoning, using the many versions of social media to keep in touch, or even if you have to talk to her from the garden gate!

So remember to celebrate all that our mothers do for us this Mother's Day.