The Tradition of "Mothering Sunday"
Written by Ciaran on Mar 25, 2025 | 0 Comments
Mother's Day is a day of much deserved celebration many places in the world. Known in Irish as Lá Fhéile an Mháthair, there are a number of charming Irish traditions for this special day. Despite the date falling at different times of the year depending on where you are in the world, taking the time to celebrate the Moms, Mams, Mums, Mammys, Mothers and all the other wonderful women at the heart of families everywhere.
"Mothering Sunday" & "Mother's Day"
In Ireland and the United Kingdom, that traditional name for the day is "Mothering Sunday" and it falls on the fourth Sunday of the Lenten season - a good deal earlier than elsewhere in the world, where Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (more on that later!).
Mothering Sunday here can be traced all the way back to the 16th century. Back then it was identified as the day when people would visit their “mother” church and partaking in the tradition was often called going ‘mothering’, a term recorded in 1644.
This was a community activity, with people and children as young as 10 working in service roles returning to their local parishes or their "home" church, and of course their family homes too. Given that many in these roles would not see their family very often, this day became a very special one in the calendar with a real focus on home. Children delighted to be back would typically pick wildflowers on their way back home from church to present to their mother - an early precursor of the bouquets many mams receive today!
With changing working arrangements, this tradition had largely died out in Ireland by the 19th century. It was the establishment of Mother's Day in the U.S. which reinvigorated the tradition. When in 1914 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May in the United States as “Mother’s Day”, the world took note. Mothering Sunday here in Ireland made a comeback, with many of the old traditions revived. Visiting U.S. and Canadian servicemen brought the term Mother's Day to the U.K. in the 1940s, and slowly the term Mothering Sunday took on the new name, but kept the original date.
"Mothering Sunday" or Mother's Day as most call it today is now one of the major events in the Irish calendar year. Some Mother's will still receive a traditional bouqet of wildflowers, along with cards, gifts – and of course, the ever-popular breakfast in bed!
My girls presented my wife Jane with some lovely wildflowers and our beautiful gold ogham initial necklace for Mother's Day this year. They were very pleased to see their initials engraved in the old gaelic script and the "ancient tree alphabet" and Jane hasn't taken the necklace off since!
A Perfect Present for Her
If wildflowers are not an option where you are, below are a few of our favourites gifts for Mother's Day that always impress.
Made for Her
Our personalised jewellery is a gift, made just for her here in Ireland. Whether its our hand engraved Irish necklace with her initial or those of her children, or a Family Birthstone Pendant set with a choice of stones representing her nearest and dearest, these are symbols of Irish connection and personal history for her to treasure forever.
Family Roots
The ancient Irish believed in the power of nature and reflected this in their art. All over Ireland are representations of the Celtic Tree of Life, representing family, connection, and strength. A tree of life is the perfect symbol for a strong women at the centre of her family.
Three gifts in one
If you really want to spoil her this year one of our matching gift sets gives her three gifts in one. Worn alone or together these sets will give her plenty of options with 20% off for you.
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to see what's new and upcoming. Join our Email list for early offers and special features.
Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
Comments
Ask Gemma
