Mothering Sunday and its origins .. Violets too and cake!

Dear Mr Postman - thank you so much for visiting .. today's positive letter is so interesting .. it's about the traditions surrounding our Mother's Day and why the USA has a different date ...

Happy Mothering Sunday to all mothers - on whatever date you celebrate yours! This is the time to honour and remember our mothers for all that they do and continue to do .. even if, as my mother is, in her last chapter .. she still wants to look after me, I am still her daughter, .. yours will too - love them dearly.

It's traditional for us all to gather with our mothers and celebrate their lives - often with flowers or small gifts from our little ones - and share a day together being a family. A bunch of violets is emblematic of this day and I will be taking some up to my mother later on .. to go with our Cape Floral Bouquet.

It is said that it is derived from the ancient custom of visiting the Mother Church on this day; it is also known as Refreshment Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent), referring to the relaxation or breaking of one's Lenten fast, or Rose Sunday, after the Golden Rose ornament which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually.

On Refreshment Sunday or Rose Sunday the liturgical colours are replaced with rose-coloured vestments and draperies symbolizing hope and joy amidst the Lenten solemnity.

Children feast on mothering cakes or simnel cakes - which have been known since the Middle Ages when young girls in service would make one to be taken home to their mothers on their day off. They are now wonderful, fragrantly spiced, light fruit cakes, baked with a melting ball of almond paste in the middle, and covered with marzipan, and traditionally also eaten at Easter.

Mother's Day in the United States occurs on the second Sunday in May and similarily is observed to remember one's mother by some act of grateful affection.

That was really interesting Mr Postman .. do you think tomorrow's positive letter will give us some history on marzipan? .. I love learning how foods have developed and travelled across the world .. thank you for your Mothering Sunday snippets on how valuable our mothers are to us .. bless them all ....