Mothering Sunday
Preserved but no longer current.
Mid-Lent Sunday, a great holiday, when the Pope blesses the golden rose, children go home to their mothers to feast on "mothering cakes," and "simnel cakes" (#.y.) are eaten. It is said that the day received its appellation from the ancient custom of visiting the "mother church" on that day; but to school-children it always meant a holiday, when they went home to spend the day with their mother or parents.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Mothering Sunday” mean?
Mid-Lent Sunday, a great holiday, when the Pope blesses the golden rose, children go home to their mothers to feast on "mothering cakes," and "simnel cakes" (#.y.) are eaten. It is said that the day received its appellation from the ancient custom of visiting the "mother church" on that day; but to school-children it always meant a holiday, when they went home to spend the day with their mother or parents.
Is “Mothering Sunday” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.