What's the difference between Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday?
Mother's Day
The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. In 1908, Anna Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, campaigned for a holiday to honour all mothers after her mother’s death. Anna’s determination paid off, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in the US.
The holiday became incredibly popular and commercialised, much to the dismay of its creator, who dubbed it a “Hallmark Holiday”. Today is one of the biggest days for the sale of cards and flowers in the US.
Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday has religious roots. It takes place on the fourth Sunday in Lent, three weeks before Easter Sunday. Initially, it was a day to honour and thank the Virgin Mary, also called Mother Mary.
On Mothering Sunday, parishioners would return to the ‘Mother Church’ to worship, and house staff got the day off work to go to mass and visit their families. Most people would bring gifts for their mothers when visiting, which is how the tradition began.
Back in the day, Mothering Sunday gifts included a delicious homemade cake or a bunch of handpicked wildflowers.
Nowadays, Mothering Sunday is called Mother’s Day in Ireland, and the annual celebration of mums, mams, mas and mammies has overtaken the religious connotations.
When is Mother's Day in Ireland
This year, Mother’s Day (Mothering Sunday) in Ireland takes place on Sunday, the 19th of March, 2023.
Mother's Day Gift Ideas
So what will you do for your mum on Mother’s Day? We have a few ideas that will show your mum or mother figure how special she is.
For our Mother’s Day Gift Guide, we have handpicked a selection of gorgeous gourmet gifts showcasing the very best artisan food and drink producers, restaurants, hotels and craftspeople in Ireland.
Cookbooks
Cookbooks make great gifts whether your mum is an avid cook or baker or likes to drool over fabulous food photography while someone else does the cooking.
Our selection of gorgeous Irish cookbooks includes titles from the most respected food writers, chefs and home cooks in Ireland, including Darina Allen, Myrtle Allen, Linda Booth, Neven Maguire, Clodagh McKenna, and Rory O’Connell.
Leahy Beekeeping Queen Bee Basket
For the queen in your life, gift her this bee-utiful Leahy Beekeeping Queen Bee Basket. This stunning collection of Irish bee products includes wax wraps, a candle, lip balm, hand cream, and limited edition socks. It also has a selection of Sliabh Aughty Honey, including honeycomb, bee pollen, and jars of hot honey, heather honey, and wildflower honey. The collection comes in an adorable basket that can be kept and reused.
Sliabh Aughty’s beehives are on the Slieve Aughty Mountains, which spread over Galway, Clare, and the Burren. The land on the mountain is unspoiled with lots of lush meadows, unplanted blanket bog and wet and dry heath
Praline Artisan Chocolate Box
If your mother has a sweet tooth, she will adore our Praline Artisan Chocolate Box. Upon opening this boutique gift, your mum will discover a box of melt-in-the-mouth truffles, sweet and crunchy honeycomb and an artisan chocolate bar of your choice of flavour: hazelnut, tropical or berry.
Located in Mitchelstown, Praline is owned and run by talented Pastry Chef & Chocolatier Norma Kelly.
Good Food Ireland® Living Collection
The Good Food Ireland® Living Collection features curated and exclusive products from homeware to clothing.
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Exclusive Designer Dog Scarf
€46.74 – €55.35 -
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Supersoft Lambswool Scarf
€42.50 -
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Cashmere Wraps
€79.95
Good Food Ireland® Cheese Board
Are you looking for a beautiful statement piece? Our elegant Good Food Ireland® Cheese Board is handmade using sustainable wood. This un-brie-ievable Mother’s Day gift is exclusive to Good Food Ireland® – you can’t buy it in the shops.
Good Food Ireland® 100% Linen Tote Bag
If your mum is eco-conscious and likes to make a sustainable statement, our Good Food Ireland® 100% Linen Tote Bag is the ideal gift. Not only is it sustainable, but it is very practical and sturdy too – qualities, and quality, your mum will no doubt appreciate.
We’ve some exquisite handmade, Irish-designed pieces that will
keep your mam warm and stylish whether she’s in the garden or off galavanting
Good Food Ireland® 100% Irish Linen Scarf
Our Good Food Ireland® 100% Irish linen scarves take inspiration from Ireland’s landscape and seascape with stunning colours, from neutral to ecru. We partnered with a traditional Irish linen weaver to create this timeless, thoughtful Mother’s Day gift that beautifies any outfit.
Good Food Ireland® Cashmere Wrap
Our exclusive Good Food Ireland® cashmere wrap is a gorgeous gift that your mum won’t ever want to take off. These luxurious wraps are made from the superfine fibres found on the undercoat of the cashmere goat and get softer and more beautiful with age.
Wild Atlantic Waterproof Picnic Blanket
Add a touch of class to every pit stop and picnic in the park with our 100% waterproof wool picnic blanket. Unlike many other picnic blankets, ours is not lined with plastic making it incredibly soft, luxurious and comfortable.
Picnic Experiences
But what is a picnic blanket without a picnic? Don’t worry; we have that covered too. For a memorable Mother’s Day experience, we recommend pairing this gift with one of our picnic experiences. Whether you want to arrange a picnic for one or more or even an elegant afternoon tea by the sea, we’ve got perfect picnic pairings that your mum will love.
Good Food Ireland® Gift Vouchers
Are you struggling to make up your mind about what to buy for Mother’s Day? Then why gift your mum one of our versatile vouchers? Good Food Ireland® gift vouchers are an excellent choice for everyone who loves great Irish hospitality, gourmet getaways, cooking courses, food and drink, and much more.
Your mum can use our physical gift vouchers in the Good Food Ireland® Collection of hotels, restaurants, cookery schools and food and drink producers all over the island of Ireland.
Gift vouchers are available from €50 to €1,000, and you can purchase these from the Good Food Ireland® website or by emailing us at info@goodfoodireland.ie or calling us at +353 (0)53 915 8693 during office hours.
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Gift Voucher
€50.00 – €1,000.00
Good Food Ireland® Food Experiences
Wilde Irish Chocolate Factory Tour
Speaking of experiences, we have some fantastic workshops, tours, and tastings taking in a wide range of food and drink hobbies and interests.
If your mum is a candy enthusiast, a chocolate-making workshop will be right up her (quality) street. A Wilde Irish Chocolate Factory Tour, with demonstration and tasting, is a fun way to discover the art of the chocolatier and get a chance to try chocolate at various stages of production, from warm and melted to the final product.
Wilde Irish Chocolates is on the shores of Lough Derg in Co Clare, where owner Patricia Farrell and her team hand-make over 80 different chocolate products.
Wild Atlantic Distillery Cocktail Class
A cocktail class will wow drink aficionados. During this hands-on experience, your mum will spend an exciting afternoon or evening enjoying a unique cocktail class. The day starts with a Wild Atlantic Irish Gin Bramble cocktail before beginning the guided cocktail-making workshop. During these fun and fantastic few hours, she’ll learn how to make the perfect gin cocktail that will go down a treat at her next dinner party!
Wild Atlantic Distillery is the first gin and whiskey distillery in Co Tyrone and draws its inspiration from Ireland’s stunning coastline and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Cider Experience and Cooking Demo with Granny's Traditional Griddle Bread
There are lovely cookery schools all over the country, but we particularly like the McKeever Family orchard experience and its focus on Irish food. The day starts with a stroll through the pretty orchard to learn about the plantations before seeing the cider-making process and enjoying a traditional griddle bread cookery demo. Then it’s time to tuck into the hot soda farls served with local cheese and chutneys washed down with craft ciders and apple juice.
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