What Is Mother’s Day?

1.

2.

What Is Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is an annual holiday celebration honouring mothers or people who
care in a similar way.
It is a day to be thankful for the care they show us in lots of different ways,
including:
love
friendship
support
respect
help
fun
understanding
Mother’s Day is a special time to show our love, thanks and respect for a mother or
similar special person, though it’s good to remember to do this all year round too!

3.

When Is Mother’s Day?
Mother’s Day is celebrated on different dates in a range of
countries around the world.
In the UK, Mother’s Day falls on the fourth
Sunday of Lent.
Traditionally, many young people (some as
young as ten years old) would leave their
family homes to commence work, often
living and working as servants or maids in
wealthy households. Here, they would
provide service for upper-class families and
they would have rarely been allowed any
time to visit their family home.

4.

When Is Mother’s Day?
The fourth Sunday in Lent was a day when Christians would be allowed to return
to their ‘mother’ church. This would be the main church closest to their home and
often the church they would have visited as children.
This also gave them the opportunity to return home to their
family and it became customary to pick flowers on the
journey home to give to their mothers. This day became
known as ‘Mothering Sunday’.
Today, this tradition continues:
many people still give gifts, as
well as cards, to their mothers
or to someone who cares for
them in a similar way.
Nowadays, this day is
usually called ‘Mother’s Day’.

5.

Who Is Mother’s Day For?
Every family is special and unique.
A mother is most often the woman who
gives birth to a person when they are a
baby (biological mother).
Some people live with their mothers so
they might see them every day and feel
very close to them.
Some people may see their mother very
often and feel close to them, even if they
don’t live with them.

6.

Who Is Mother’s Day For?
Some people may no longer have their
mother living on earth.
They may feel a range of different
emotions on Mother's Day and every
other day.
All of these emotions are OK.
People who no longer have their mother living on earth may
or may not choose to celebrate Mother's Day.

7.

Who Is Mother’s Day For?
Some people may feel close to their mother,
even if they don’t see them very often.
For these people, Mother’s Day might
be a celebration of their mothers.
It can be a good time to say a special
thank you for the love and care shown
by their mother.
Sometimes, a woman might not be the
biological mother but is still a person’s
mother or cares in a similar way to
a mother.

8.

Who Is Mother’s Day For?
This might be because a different woman gave birth to the
person for lots of different reasons.
Examples might include stepmothers,
mothers who have had a child
through adoption or women who
care for looked-after children.
Many people feel very close to
these women and they might
celebrate them on Mother’s
Day in the same way as
other people celebrate their
biological mothers.

9.

Who Is Mother’s Day For?
Some people may not choose or be able to celebrate Mother’s Day with their mother.
For some people, it may be another very special person in their life who shows the
care of a mother that they choose to celebrate on Mother’s Day.
a sister
a teacher
an aunt
a neighbour
a father
Any other trusted,
caring person
a friend
On Mother’s Day, it’s the care that counts, instead of who it comes from.

10.

How Can Mother’s Day Be Celebrated?
There are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day with a mother or a person
who cares like a mother.
Here are just a few ideas:
Make and give or send a celebratory card.
Share or help to cook a special meal.
Read each other your favourite stories.
Call or contact each other if you cannot be close.
Give or send a small gift (handmade ones go down a treat!)

11.

How Can Mother’s Day Be Celebrated?
There are many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day
with a mother or a person who cares like a mother.
Here are just a few ideas:
Take a funny selfie together.
Pick or send some beautiful flowers.
Draw something meaningful to give them.
Say a simple thank you to show you appreciate things they do.
Spend some quality time together doing something you both enjoy.

12.

How Can Mother’s Day Be Celebrated?
Whatever people do to celebrate Mother’s Day, it’s good to remember:
‘It’s the care that counts.’