Mothering Sunday is a time when children pay respect to their Mothers. Children often give their Mothers a gift and a card.

Many churches give the children in the congregation a little bunch of spring flowers during the Mothering Sunday service, to give to their Mothers as a thank you for all their care and love throughout the year.

In recent times Mothering Sunday has in Britain taken on the name and character of the US Mothers’ Day. The original meaning of Mothering Sunday in England has been largely lost. Mothers Day in America is in May and does not change months from year to year like Mothering Sunday does in England.

The fourth Sunday in Lent is still known as Simnel Sunday in some areas of England, because of the tradition of baking Simnel cakes.

The Simnel cake is a fruit cake. A flat layer of marzipan (sugar almond paste) is placed on top of and decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, who betrayed Christ.

In 2007, Mothering Sunday was on 18 March.
(In 2008 it will be on Sunday 2 March )