Mothers essential, fathers optional

Mother's Day is justifiably a big deal. My Mum is very important to me and very dear to me. Why does Father's Day seem so trivial by comparison?

Perhaps the mother's work is greater than the father's.  For a mother, having a child involves hard labour, a toil in which she gifts the three precious bodily fluids: blood, sweat and tears. A father for his part gives up a half a teaspoon of seminal fluid in a too-brief, but happy moment.

Given the effort required of a mother to birth and raise children, it is not surprising then that many religions and many cultures set aside a time to honour the mother. Mother's Day, or more generally the celebration of motherhood has a long history stretching back to Greek and Roman times at least. Mothering Sunday is recognised in many Christian religions on the fourth Sunday of Lent.