Sunday 3 June 2007

La Fête des Mères

My second Mothers’ Day of the year! I had never really noticed before that France celebrates Mothers’ Day on yet another date. I knew it was different from the British date but always assumed it was the same as the US, which I know has passed. Normally it’s the last Sunday in May, but when this falls on the same day as Pentecost, as it did this year, they move it to a week later. Today’s the day.

It wasn’t until 1950 that the date was set nationally and the day became Mothers’ Day. Before that it had been on various dates and varied from place to place. It had focused on mothers of “familles nombreuses” from 1897 in an attempt to stop the population decline.

Well I have produced only two sons, and I’m not French anyway, but I’m still being taken out for a meal! If the truth be told, it was something of an accident that we hit on today (and were very fortunate to have managed to book a table in a very popular restaurant) but it will be extremely pleasant all the same.

2 comments:

  1. In England it's linked to Easter - the third Sunday before, I think.
    In France it has to be in May - Mary's month.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I knew about Mothering Sunday but May being Mary's month I hadn't heard of before. So thank you for that!

    ReplyDelete

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