Happy Mothering Sunday - in Britain and Ireland

This morning when I opened my browser the Google Doodle was of a cheerful woman with two kids, on cycles with colourful capes blowing in the wind behind them. Hovering my mouse over the image brought up the caption "Happy Mother's Day" and on impulse I typed "Google.com" into the search bar to see what the US version of Google looked like.  Of course I was immediately redirected to "Google.co.uk" so I do not know if there was a different or no Google doodle for the  USA.

The reason is that here in the British Isles we still celebrate the ancient Christian festival of Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday in Lent, also known as Refreshment Sunday as the strict fasting observances of Lent were relaxed. 

"Mothering" initially referred to the duty to return to the "Mother Church" on that day, and later the day was adopted as a holiday for young people in service to have the day off to go home and take a present to their mothers.   Often the present was a Simnel Cake, a rich fruit cake with almond paste. I remember baking such a cake for my own mother when I was a student, and surprising her on Mothering Sunday when I turned up at her door.