How did the tradition of Mothering Sunday arise?

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The Free Online Encyclopedia has the following, quoted without the references:

Mothering Sunday
March-April; fourth Sunday in Lent
It was the custom in 17th-century England for Christians to pay their respects on the fourth Sunday in Lent to the "Mother Church" where they had been baptized. Also known as Misers, or Mid-Lent, Sunday, this day usually included a visit to one's parentsβ€”to "go a-mothering," as it was called back then. It was common practice to bring a cake or trinket for the mother of the family. In England the favorite gift was the simnel cake, a saffron-flavored fruitcake topped with almond paste. In the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, the fourth Sunday in Lent is known as Laetare Sunday . The Introit of the Mass begins with the word "Rejoice" (laetare in Latin), marking a slight respite in the solemn Lenten season, hence the terms Mid-Lent Sunday and Refreshment Sunday . Priests may wear rose-colored vestments to mass, instead of the usual purple for Lent, so the day is also called Rose Sunday. Also on this day the pope blesses the Golden Rose, an ornament resembling a spray of roses, symbolizing spiritual joy.


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