From The Old Farmer’s Almanac

While the Mother’s Day we celebrate is a fairly recent development, in 16th-century England a celebration called “Mothering Sunday” was inaugurated — a Sunday set aside for visiting your mother. The eldest son or daughter would bring a “mothering cake,” which would be shared by the entire family. Family reunions were the order of the day, with sons and daughters assuming all household duties and preparing a special dinner in honor of their mother.