How do you show your mother you love her?

Mothering Sunday is upon us, and for many, it is a time to celebrate the wonderful women who raised us.

It’s a day of flowers, chocolates, afternoon teas, and special family gatherings. It’s about taking the grandkids to visit their grandmother, about showing appreciation for everything our mothers do for us.

But beyond the modern traditions, Mother’s Day has a rich history, rooted in both religious observance and heartfelt appreciation for maternal love. In Ireland and the UK, Mother’s Day falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

Historically, it was a day when people would return to their ‘mother church’—the main church in their area—often bringing their own mothers along. This tradition evolved over time into a day to honour all mothers, not just the Virgin Mary.

Across the Atlantic, Mother’s Day has a different origin. It was Anna Jarvis who, on 12 May 1907, held a memorial for her late mother which resonated widely, and by 1914, the second Sunday in May was officially declared a national holiday in the United States to celebrate mothers everywhere.

For me, Mother’s Day is bittersweet. It’s a day that makes me miss my mum deeply. The advertisements urging us to buy gifts, book meals, and celebrate in grand style only remind me of the loss I felt since she passed in 2009.

Days like birthdays, Christmas, and especially Mother’s Day can be difficult, but they also bring back a flood of beautiful memories.

Mother’s Day in our house was never about lavish meals out or expensive gifts. My mum was a woman who cherished the simple things. She never wanted to go to a fancy restaurant or a high-end café. Instead, she wanted her children to come over, sit around the kitchen table, and enjoy coffee and cake together.

She always baked a cheesecake—my brother’s favourite. We would bring her flowers and her favourite sweets. She had the sweetest tooth imaginable and could finish a box of chocolates in one sitting without gaining a single ounce. You can imagine my jealousy!

She loved the gifts, the flowers, the chocolates, but most of all, she loved having us all together. Despite our grown-up lives and successful careers, to her, we remained her ‘kids’ who needed looking after. She would scold us for spending money on her, telling us to save it instead, but we never listened. Her joy was worth every penny.

When she moved in with me here in Ireland, we kept up our little traditions. I would go to the Chocolate Stall in the English Market, where Niall Daly would carefully select a box of chocolates for her, ensuring there was no dark chocolate and no alcoholic fillings—she had her preferences!

Niall has since also passed but his family keeps the stall going so you might want to pop in. For flowers, Best of Buds in Winthrop Arcade is perfect. Hayfield Manor, The Montenotte, and The Metropole Hotel all offer incredible afternoon tea options that I can personally vouch for.

But no matter how you choose to celebrate, do it with all your heart. Tell your mum how much she means to you, and if you, like me, are remembering your mother from afar, honour her memory with love, laughter, and the traditions she held dear.

Note: The Metropole Hotel is undergoing renovations so might not be available for afternoon tea.