Mothering Sunday 2027 is Sunday, March 7. It is Mother’s Day in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and it falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter.
That puts it nine weeks ahead of Mother’s Day in the United States, which is Sunday, May 9, 2027.
Key takeaways
- Mothering Sunday is always three weeks before Easter Sunday, so its date moves every year.
- In 2027, Easter is early (March 28), so Mothering Sunday is early too.
- The UK and Ireland use this date; the United States, Canada, and Australia use the second Sunday in May.
- The modern custom was revived in 1913 by Constance Adelaide Smith.
Table of Contents
Mothering Sunday 2027 key facts
| Date | Sunday, March 7, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rule | Fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter Sunday |
| Observed in | United Kingdom, Ireland, and some Commonwealth countries |
| Also called | Mother’s Day (UK), Laetare Sunday, Mid-Lent Sunday, Refreshment Sunday |
| Easter Sunday 2027 | March 28 |
| US Mother’s Day 2027 | Sunday, May 9 |
| Bank holiday? | No; it is always a Sunday |
| Next date | Sunday, March 26, 2028 |
Mothering Sunday dates, 2025–2036
Mothering Sunday can fall on any Sunday from March 1 to April 4. The table gives each date with that year’s Easter Sunday and US Mother’s Day.
| Year | Mothering Sunday (UK and Ireland) | Easter Sunday | US Mother’s Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | March 30 | April 20 | May 11 |
| 2026 | March 15 | April 5 | May 10 |
| 2027 | March 7 | March 28 | May 9 |
| 2028 | March 26 | April 16 | May 14 |
| 2029 | March 11 | April 1 | May 13 |
| 2030 | March 31 | April 21 | May 12 |
| 2031 | March 23 | April 13 | May 11 |
| 2032 | March 7 | March 28 | May 9 |
| 2033 | March 27 | April 17 | May 8 |
| 2034 | March 19 | April 9 | May 14 |
| 2035 | March 4 | March 25 | May 13 |
| 2036 | March 23 | April 13 | May 11 |
In this 12-year run, the earliest Mothering Sunday is March 4, 2035, and the latest is March 31, 2030. The 2027 date, March 7, is eight days earlier than in 2026.
When Mothering Sunday falls on the day the clocks go forward
In some years, Mothering Sunday lands on the last Sunday of March, when UK clocks go forward one hour. That happened in 2025 and will happen again in 2028, 2030, and 2033, by our count. In 2027, the clocks change on March 28, three weeks later, so Mothering Sunday keeps its full 24 hours.
Why does the date of Mothering Sunday change?
Mothering Sunday is tied to Easter, and Easter moves with the moon. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21, so it can fall between March 22 and April 25.
Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday of Lent, the season that starts on Ash Wednesday. In 2027, Ash Wednesday is February 10, the Sundays of Lent begin on February 14, and the fourth one is March 7.
Is Mothering Sunday the same as Mother’s Day?
In the UK, most people use the two names for the same day. They are different days from Mother’s Day in the United States, with separate origins.
| Mothering Sunday | US Mother’s Day | |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 date | Sunday, March 7 | Sunday, May 9 |
| Rule | Fourth Sunday of Lent | Second Sunday in May |
| Where | UK, Ireland | United States, Canada, Australia, and many others |
| Origin | A church custom dating to the Middle Ages | A campaign by Anna Jarvis; official in the US since 1914 |
The gap between the two ranges from 6 to 10 weeks in the years 2025 to 2036, and it is 9 weeks in 2027. Families split between the UK and the US mark the day twice. The US date is on our Mother’s Day 2027 page, and Mexico’s fixed date is on the Mexican Mother’s Day page.
History of Mothering Sunday
Mothering Sunday began as a church custom. Since the Middle Ages, Christians visited their “mother church,” the church where they were baptized, on the fourth Sunday of Lent (Wikipedia).
Later, domestic servants were given the day off to make that visit, usually with their mothers and families. The day became a rare chance for families to gather.
The custom had faded by the early 1900s. Constance Adelaide Smith revived it in 1913, partly in response to Anna Jarvis’s campaign for Mother’s Day in the United States. Smith wrote a play, “In Praise of Mother,” in 1913 and “The Revival of Mothering Sunday” in 1921.
Mothering Sunday traditions
Mothering Sunday mixes church customs with the cards and flowers of a modern Mother’s Day.
- Simnel cake: a fruit cake with marzipan, traditionally given to parents on the day.
- Flowers: children once gathered violets for their mothers, and many churches still hand out small posies.
- Mothering buns: a local specialty in Bristol.
- A break from Lent: the day’s other name, Refreshment Sunday, reflects a pause in the Lenten fast.
- Cards and a meal: today, most families give a card and share lunch, as on Mother’s Day elsewhere.
If you are sending a card from abroad for March 7, 2027, post it in February. The date arrives much sooner after Valentine’s Day than the May date does.
Frequently asked questions
When is Mothering Sunday 2027?
Mothering Sunday 2027 is Sunday, March 7.
When is Mother’s Day in the UK in 2027?
Mother’s Day in the UK is Mothering Sunday, which is Sunday, March 7, 2027.
When is Mother’s Day in Ireland in 2027?
Ireland uses the same date as the UK: Sunday, March 7, 2027.
When is Mothering Sunday 2028?
Mothering Sunday 2028 is Sunday, March 26, the same day UK clocks go forward.
Why is UK Mother’s Day earlier than US Mother’s Day?
The UK date follows the church calendar and falls three weeks before Easter. The US date is fixed to the second Sunday in May.
Is Mothering Sunday a bank holiday?
No. It always falls on a Sunday, and there is no day off in lieu.
Every March date is on the March 2027 calendar, and every other 2027 date is in the 2027 calendar.
