Human Flower Project

Mothering Sunday

Though observed much like American Mother’s Day now, Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom and Ireland originally paid tribute to an ecclesiastical, not biological, “mum.”

“Every Midlent Sunday is a great day at Worcester, when all the children and god-children meet at the head and cheife of the family and have a feast. They call it the Mothering-day.”
Diary of Richard Symonds (1644)

Mothering Sunday
at East Garston Parish, U.K.
Photo: Peter R. Cook

Mothering Sunday as it’s now called, is perhaps the biggest floral holiday in England, with all the cards, florists’ bouquets and other gifty fol-de-rol of Mothers Day in the US. Originally, it was the occasion for parishoners to head back to their “mother churches”—the cathedrals of their youth or churches where they were baptized.

And how wise that someone chose the fourth Sunday in Lent, giving everyone a respite from its austerity, a social event. “Inevitably the return to the “mother” church became an occasion for family reunions when children who were working away returned home.” Consider that the working life often began as early as age 10.

“Most historians think that it was the return to the “Mother” church which led to the tradition of children, particularly those working as domestic servants, or as apprentices, being given the day off to visit their mother and family. As they walked along the country lanes, children would pick wild flowers or violets to take to church or give to their mother as a small gift.”

This year, in Ireland and the U.K., March 6th will be both a sacred and a secular holiday. “In a revival of a ceremony dating from Tudor times, young people still receive flowers and Simnel cakes at a service in the Chapel Royal at the Tower of London. These cakes were once baked by daughters throughout England… who would also decorate their mother’s homes with violets, primroses, daffodils and other spring flowers. They would often prepare egg custard, comfits, lambs’ tails, white sugar sweets, fig pies and wafers , and give their mothers nosegays of wild flowers that had been blessed in church.”

When’s the last time you gave or received a nosegay? Have you tried baking a Simnel cake?

Welcome home, to all who are partaking of family reunions today. And happy Mothering Sunday.

For a Simnel Cake recipe….

CAKE INGREDIENTS
Softened Butter - 225g (8 oz)
Castor sugar - 225g (8 oz)
Eggs - 4
Self-raising flour - 225g (8 oz)
Sultanas - 225g (8 oz)
Currants - 110g (4 oz)
Glacé cherries - 110g (4 oz), quartered
Chopped candied peel - 50g (2 oz)
Zest of 2 lemons
Mixed spice - 2 tsp.

FILLING AND TOPPING
Almond paste - 450g (1 lb)
Apricot jam - 2 tbsp
1 beaten egg (for glaze).

METHOD
1. Pre-heat oven to 150 °C / 300 °F / Gas 2. Butter and line the base and sides of a 20 cm (8 inch) deep round cake tin with buttered greaseproof paper.
2. Place all the cake ingredients bowl and beat well. Place half the mixture in the prepared tin.
3. Take one-third of the almond paste and roll it out into a circle the size of the tin. Place it on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining cake mixture over and smooth the surface.
4. Bake for about 2_ hours until well risen and firm. (If the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, cover it with aluminium foil.) Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. When the cake has cooled, brush the top with a little warmed apricot jam and roll out half the remaining almond paste to fit the top. Press firmly on the top and crimp the edges to decorate. 6. Mark a criss-cross pattern on the almond paste with a sharp knife. Roll the remaining almond paste into 11 balls.
7. Brush the almond paste with beaten egg and arrange the balls around the outside. Brush the tops of the balls with egg as well. Place the cake under a hot grill to turn the almond paste golden.
8. Decorate with crystallised flowers if liked. (Editor’s note: Or real ones)

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