In the United States, Mother`s Day did not become an official holiday until 1910. The inspiration for it, however, started a good five years before. When a certain resident Pennsylvania died on May 5 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, a great admirer of her mother`s strength and support was determined to honour her in a more lasting way.

Anna asked the minister at her church in West Virginia to give a sermon in her mother`s memory. On the same Sunday in Philadelphia, their minister honoured Mrs. Jarvis and all mothers with a special Mother`s Day service.

Inspired by these successes, Anna began writing to congressmen, asking them to set aside a day to honour mothers. In 1910, the governor of West Virginia proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother`s Day. It only took a year until every other state followed suit with the celebrations.

Back here in England, though, we`ve known that mums deserve more than a hug for quite a bit longer than that. In the 18th century, when many people worked as household servants, ‘Mothering Sunday`, the fourth Sunday in Lent, was reserved as a day for the workers to return home to be with their mothers. Some sources even suggest this special day was celebrated as long ago as the 16th century.