Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is a holiday celebrated by Catholic and Protestant Christians in the UK and some other parts of the world. It is generally observed in parishes of the Church of England, as well as in the rest of the UK and many Anglican parishes throughout the world, especially in Canada and Australia. It falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Day. Once observed as a day on which people would visit their "mother" church, it has become an occasion for honouring the mothers of children and giving them presents.

History
During the 16th century, people returned to their Mother church for a service to be held on Laetare Sunday; in this context, one's 'mother church' was either the church where one was baptised, or the local parish church, or the nearest cathedral. Anyone who did this was commonly said to have gone "a-mothering", although whether this term preceded the observance of Mothering Sunday is unclear. In later times, Mothering Sunday became a day when domestic servants were given a day off to visit their mother church, usually with their own mothers and other family members.[3] It was often the only time that whole families could gather together, since on other days they were prevented from doing so by conflicting working hours.

Saint Paul’s Church, the parish church of New Southgate, England

Names
The other names attributed to the fourth Sunday in Lent include Refreshment Sunday, Pudding Pie Sunday (in Surrey, England), Mid-Lent Sunday, Simnel Sunday and Rose Sunday. Simnel Sunday is named after the practice of baking simnel cakes to celebrate the reuniting of families during the austerity of Lent. Because there is traditionally a relaxation of Lenten vows on this particular Sunday in celebration of the fellowship of family and church, the name Refreshment Sunday is sometimes used, although rarely today.

Other
The Epistle for the fourth Sunday in Lent as set out in the Book of Common Prayer and The 1962 Missal of the Roman Catholic Church give a special place to the theme of maternal love: Galatians 4:26 states that "Jerusalem which is above is free; which is Mother of us all. “Another tradition associated with Mothering Sunday is the practice of " clipping the church", whereby the congregation form a ring around their church building and, holding hands, embrace it.
For some Church of England churches, it is the only day in Lent when marriages can be celebrated.
During Mothering Sunday services in some churches children in the congregation are given a little bunch of spring flowers to give to their mothers

Cakes
Simnel cake is a traditional confection associated with both Mothering Sunday and Easter

Around 1600, when the celebration was only held in England and Scotland, a different kind of pastry was preferred. In England, "Mothering Buns" or "Mothering Sunday Buns" were made to celebrate. These sweet buns are topped with pink or white icing and the multi-coloured sprinkles known as "hundreds and thousands" in the UK. They are not widely made or served today in the UK but in Australia they are a bakery staple, not related to any particular celebration.
In Northern England and Scotland some preferred "Carlings", pancakes made of steeped peas fried in butter.