Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never, ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never, ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
Cheers
John
Well I feel Mothering Sunday, which is what this is, is more a Northern
thing than Southern thing. I believe it was the Sunday on which
apprentices or domestic workers had leave to visit their mothers,
usually taking flowers they picked on the journey...
.. so I too am puzzled, perhaps they have been Americanised and expect
one from every relative..
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:14:45 +0100, David Wade wrote:
Well I feel Mothering Sunday, which is what this is, is more a Northern
thing than Southern thing. I believe it was the Sunday on which
apprentices or domestic workers had leave to visit their mothers,
usually taking flowers they picked on the journey...
.. so I too am puzzled, perhaps they have been Americanised and expect
one from every relative..
Actually nowt to do with parents.
Mothering Sunday is the day on which you visit your mother church.
On 18 Apr 2025 at 02:07:25 BST, "crn" <crn@netunix.com> wrote:
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:14:45 +0100, David Wade wrote:
Well I feel Mothering Sunday, which is what this is, is more a Northern
thing than Southern thing. I believe it was the Sunday on which
apprentices or domestic workers had leave to visit their mothers,
usually taking flowers they picked on the journey...
.. so I too am puzzled, perhaps they have been Americanised and expect
one from every relative..
Actually nowt to do with parents.
Mothering Sunday is the day on which you visit your mother church.
Nearly. This is sort of true but only because they's be visiting their mother and so be in the vicinity of their mother church.
The above from SWMBO who is up on these things, having been warden of an Anglican Retreat House.
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never, ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
Cheers
John
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been
slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've
never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never
dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never,
ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even >> then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind
of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already >> what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
Cheers
John
Your D-in-L is bonkers. Strangers on the internet say so, so it must be
true. ;-)
On 18 Apr 2025 at 02:07:25 BST, "crn" <crn@netunix.com> wrote:
On Thu, 17 Apr 2025 23:14:45 +0100, David Wade wrote:
Well I feel Mothering Sunday, which is what this is, is more a Northern
thing than Southern thing. I believe it was the Sunday on which
apprentices or domestic workers had leave to visit their mothers,
usually taking flowers they picked on the journey...
.. so I too am puzzled, perhaps they have been Americanised and expect
one from every relative..
Actually nowt to do with parents.
Mothering Sunday is the day on which you visit your mother church.
Nearly. This is sort of true but only because they's be visiting their mother and so be in the vicinity of their mother church.
The above from SWMBO who is up on these things, having been warden of an Anglican Retreat House.
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been
slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've
never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never
dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never,
ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even >> then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind
of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already >> what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
For starters which “Mothers Day” event are you referring to , Mothers Day is a 20th century US invention which has crept into the UK calendar encouraged by commercial interests to sell cards etc. In the US it is 2nd Sunday in May .The older tradition in the UK is Mothering Sunday which
goes back to mediaeval times and moves around like Easter does , Many
people in the UK now incorrectly call that Mothers Day as well and so we
have more than the cultural difference between the North and South to
contend with.
The commercial interests would probably love the UK to celebrate both but
it does give you a get out excuse in that you were going to send Mothers
day cards to arrive shortly before May the 11th.
GH
On 17 Apr 2025 at 23:05:38 BST, "Marland" <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been
slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've >>> never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never
dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never,
ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even >>> then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind
of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already
what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
For starters which “Mothers Day” event are you referring to , Mothers Day
is a 20th century US invention which has crept into the UK calendar
encouraged by commercial interests to sell cards etc. In the US it is 2nd
Sunday in May .The older tradition in the UK is Mothering Sunday which
goes back to mediaeval times and moves around like Easter does , Many
people in the UK now incorrectly call that Mothers Day as well and so we
have more than the cultural difference between the North and South to
contend with.
The commercial interests would probably love the UK to celebrate both but
it does give you a get out excuse in that you were going to send Mothers
day cards to arrive shortly before May the 11th.
GH
Thanks GH, and *thanks* everyone else. I'd never really appreciated the differnce between Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday.
Your comments, GH, about Americanisation are bang on: the family concerned absolutely love everything american, having had a timeshare in Florida since the DiL was a kid.
Yours, appalled,
and thanks again,
[Another] John
The other American “celebration “ which seemed to be introduced to the UK
in recent times is the baby shower.
My mother didn't get much other time off, when she was in service as a
girl.
On 17/04/2025 22:23, Another John wrote:
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us.
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never
dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never,
ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind
of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already
what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
Well I feel Mothering Sunday, which is what this is, is more a Northern
thing than Southern thing. I believe it was the Sunday on which
apprentices or domestic workers had leave to visit their mothers,
usually taking flowers they picked on the journey...
.. so I too am puzzled, perhaps they have been Americanised and expect
one from every relative..
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
On 17 Apr 2025 at 23:05:38 BST, "Marland" <gemehabal@btinternet.co.uk> wrote:
Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com> wrote:
Our son told me the other day that his wife (i.e. our D-in-L) had been >>>> slightly puzzled that she had not received a Mother's Day card from us. >>>>
"Slightly puzzled" does not describe our own reaction to that news: we've >>>> never sent her one before (the grand-kids are now 12 and 9), and woulld never
dream of doing so: she's not the mother of either me or my wife! We've never,
ever, sent MD cards to anyone except our own mothers (and probably not even
then, since MD cards hadn't really been invented then!).
WE are (well) Up North. THEY (son and family) are in Kent. Is there some kind
of "cultural difference"? (On this particular point, I mean: we know already
what a cultural _gulf_ here is between Down There and Up Here.)
For starters which “Mothers Day” event are you referring to , Mothers Day
is a 20th century US invention which has crept into the UK calendar
encouraged by commercial interests to sell cards etc. In the US it is 2nd >>> Sunday in May .The older tradition in the UK is Mothering Sunday which
goes back to mediaeval times and moves around like Easter does , Many
people in the UK now incorrectly call that Mothers Day as well and so we >>> have more than the cultural difference between the North and South to
contend with.
The commercial interests would probably love the UK to celebrate both but >>> it does give you a get out excuse in that you were going to send Mothers >>> day cards to arrive shortly before May the 11th.
GH
Thanks GH, and *thanks* everyone else. I'd never really appreciated the
differnce between Mother's Day and Mothering Sunday.
Your comments, GH, about Americanisation are bang on: the family concerned >> absolutely love everything american, having had a timeshare in Florida since >> the DiL was a kid.
Yours, appalled,
and thanks again,
[Another] John
The other American “celebration “ which seemed to be introduced to the UK
in recent times is the baby shower which seems to have be an excuse to be given loads of presents, that seems to have faded a bit here but it doesn’t take to much searching to find people who will organise one ,at a cost of course. Like making a list of wedding expensive presents these things can involve emotional blackmail on relatives and friends who may not be able to be that flush with their money but feel obliged to take part or be frowned upon if they don’t.
High School 'Prom' (complete with 'stretch limo' in order to make an entrance).
'Graduation' - even from Nursery school - complete with caps and gowns.
On 22 Apr 2025 at 18:52:36 BST, "Sam Plusnet" <not@home.com> wrote:
High School 'Prom' (complete with 'stretch limo' in order to make an
entrance).
'Graduation' - even from Nursery school - complete with caps and gowns.
Absolutely right Sam. We haven't got any young relatives up here, but down in the SouthEast, at least, they seem to fall for all this shit hook line and sinker.
It's all gone mad, and the pressures of Farcebook. and other Meta products, have added petrol to the flames.
On 22/04/2025 20:12, Another John wrote:
On 22 Apr 2025 at 18:52:36 BST, "Sam Plusnet" <not@home.com> wrote:
High School 'Prom' (complete with 'stretch limo' in order to make
an entrance).
'Graduation' - even from Nursery school - complete with caps and
gowns.
Absolutely right Sam. We haven't got any young relatives up here,
but down in the SouthEast, at least, they seem to fall for all this
shit hook line and sinker.
It's all gone mad, and the pressures of Farcebook. and other Meta
products, have added petrol to the flames.
I learned of these two things from relatives who live in Essex[1] -
I'm not suggesting this is specific to Essex, but it is in the South
East.
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