Mother's Day 2022: Why is the date different in the UK and why does it change every year?

Mother's Day, which is also known as Mothering Sunday, is known to fall in Spring, but the date changes every year.

Today (Sunday, March 27), marks the first celebration in the last two years where there will be no restrictions due to the Covid pandemic.

Many families have been looking forward to getting together and making up for lost time.

Here, we've put together everything you need to know about Mother's Day 2022.

Why does the date of Mother's Day change every year?

In the UK, Mother’s Day is connected to Easter, so like this holiday, the date of Mother's Day changes every year as Easter's date changes.

Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday originated as a religious celebration that takes place on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

In this celebration, church services were held to honour Mary and lent would be broken with a piece of cake.

Services were held in honour of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Christian’s would break their lent with simple cake.

Why is the date of Mother's Day different in the UK?

The UK has a different date than the USA because the date of Mother's Day in the UK is connected to Easter, which changes every year.

The UK, Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man and Nigeria all have the same date for Mother's Day.

In America, Australia, Germany, China and Greece, Mother's Day always falls on the second Sunday in May, this year's date is Sunday, May 8, 2022.

Where does the tradition of Mother's Day come from?

The tradition of Mother's Day goes as far back as 250BC when the Ancient Greeks and Romans would celebrate the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybel with festivals in their honour.

In the UK, the tradition can be traced back to the 16th Century, when Christians would visit their, 'mother church' on the date on the fourth Sunday in Lent.

Mother's Day in America was first celebrated in 1907, after Anna Jarvis held the first Mother's Day church ceremony in West Virginia. Jarvis campaigned for Mother's Day to become a recognised holiday, in honour of her mother the peace activist Ann Reeves Jarvis.

Her dream became a reality, when in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day a national holiday on the second Sunday in May to honour mothers.

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