Picture this. A 10-year-old scullery maid climbs up the stone stairway to the attic in the dark, all alone except for the small candle she carries in a jar. Condensation from the windows runs in a steady stream down the walls with nothing to catch it and no other source of heat. It’s an early night for her, only 10pm, because she worked so hard to wash the dishes from the servant’s hall as well as the family dinner. Soaked to the skin with perspiration and dirty dishwater she crawls into bed full of anticipation and excitement. Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday.
The Christian holiday on the fourth Sunday of lent, ensured that every domestic servant in the UK had at least one full day off a year. They came from some of the poorest families in the country and were considered lucky to leave home at the age of nine or ten to enter into a life of service. It was better than the workhouse. The work was gruelling and the hours were long, starting at 5.30am and not finishing till 10.30pm. Mothering Sunday took them home to their families and to their ‘mother’ church, just for one day and the children would stop along the way to pick wild flowers to give to the church or to their mothers.
The yearly religious occasion eventually fused with the secular event of Mother’s Day to become a day to appreciate motherhood with cards and gifts. Things have only gotten easier as time goes by. Where once, Mothering Sunday would have been the highlight of the year, for those of us who still get to text our mothers, call them, email them, see them anytime we want and even still rely on them – it’s easy to leave our appreciation till the last minute with a quick card and bunch of flowers on the way home from work.
But picture this.
There’s an old box of photographs hidden away at the bottom of a cupboard with a lifetime of memories. Snapshots of a wedding day, a pregnancy, countless birthdays and precious holidays. Now picture these stolen moments decorating a dozen freshly baked cakes and the surprise as cherished memories are brought back to life. Because let’s face it – everyone loves cake and what better way to let your mum have her cake and eat it than with a gift that is tailored to her memories.
With just over a week to go, now is the time to order your personalised Mother’s Day toppers or choose from our predesigned range. Check your latest My Cupcake Toppers newsletter for our simple cupcake recipe and your 20% mother’s day discount. It’s easy to give your mum something unique this year to show her how much she is loved.