During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
　　在那时，许多英国穷人都在有钱人家做仆人。因为这些穷人住的地方往往距离主人家较远，所以他们常常就住在雇主的家中。而在每年的"妈妈星期天"这一天，主人常常会给他的仆人放一天假，鼓励他们回家去与自己的母亲共度此日。同时，为了庆祝这一天，人们还常常会带一种特殊的蛋糕（称为"母亲蛋糕"）回家给自己的母亲。

　　As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration . People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.
　　随着基督教在欧洲的广泛传播，这一天逐渐演变为"母亲礼拜日", 以纪念给予基督徒生命和保护他们不受伤害的精神力量。再以后，对"母亲礼拜日"和"妈妈的星期天"逐渐合为一体。此后，人们在这一天中就既庆祝母亲的节日又举行基督教的礼拜。

　　In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace. Ms. Howe would hold organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Mass ever year.
　　在美国， 1872年在茱丽亚・沃德・豪（她将这些建议写信给共和国战事赞美诗）建议下设立了母亲节。这一节日是为在战争中失去了亲人的母亲们而设的，纪念她们为和平所付出的牺牲。每逢这一天，豪小姐还会在波士顿举行母亲节的庆祝大会。

　　In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.
　　1907年，来自费城的安娜・佳维斯开始为建立国际母亲节而四处活动。佳维斯小姐说服了位于格来夫顿的她母亲的教会以及西弗吉尼亚在五月的第二个星期天，即安娜母亲逝世后的第二个纪念日庆祝母亲节。次年，费城也举行了母亲节活动。

　　Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful as by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
　　佳维斯小姐和她的支持者开始写信给大臣们，商人，和政客，要求他们设立全国性的母亲节。到1911年的母亲节，他们的这一建议终于被采纳了，从此，全国都在这一天庆祝母亲节。伍德罗・威尔逊总统在1914年正式宣布，此后每一年五月的第二个星期天都是全国庆祝母亲节的日子。

　　While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.
　　目前有许多国家都以不同的日子作为本国的母亲节，不过也有一些国家（如丹麦、芬兰、意大利、土耳其、澳大利亚、和比利时）和美国在同一天庆祝母亲节，即五月的第二个星期天。