Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day are two separate observances with different origins and traditions:
- Mothering Sunday:
Mothering Sunday is a Christian holiday that has its roots in the UK and some other European countries. It falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, which is three weeks before Easter Sunday.
Originally, it was a day for Christians to visit their ‘mother church’ (the main church or cathedral in their area) and was seen as a time to honour the Virgin Mary and give thanks for motherhood. On this day, Catholics would visit the Church they were born or raised in, or the Cathedral closest to their domicile, and leave an offering. Over time, it evolved into a day to honour and show appreciation for mothers and mother figures in general.
- Mother’s Day:
Mother’s Day, on the other hand, began as a secular holiday that is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is usually observed on the second Sunday in May in many countries, including the United States. Mother’s Day is a day to honour mothers and mother figures and show appreciation for their role in the lives of their children.
In Nigeria, some Christians choose to celebrate Mother’s Day on Mothering Sunday, while others prefer to shift it to the Second Sunday of May, since the Month of May is also Dedicated to Mary.
However, to prevent this kind of confusion, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria issued a letter directing that the Mother’s Day celebration should be held on the Sunday immediately after the Solemnity of the Annunciation, if the Solemnity does not fall on a Sunday.
The reason for this is that the Catholic Church has always predicated this celebration on the Solemnity of the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary and announcing that she would be the Mother of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Following this directive, Mother’s Day this year 2024 falls on the Third Sunday of Easter, April 14th 2024, since the Solemnity of the Annunciation falls on Monday 8th of April 2024.
N.B: Please note that though the Feast of the Annunciation is usually on the 25th of March, it has been moved this year because it falls during Lent.
© Oselumhense Anetor, 2024
