Show Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday which is the first day of Lent. It's a day of penitence, to clean the soul, and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins. But there's more to Shrove Tuesday than pigging out on pancakes or taking part in a public pancake race. The pancakes themselves are part of an ancient custom with deeply religious roots. PenitenceShrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them. When a person receives absolution for their sins, they are forgiven for them and released from the guilt and pain that they have caused them. In the Catholic or Orthodox context, the absolution is pronounced by a priest. This tradition is very old. Over 1000 years ago a monk wrote in the Anglo-Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes: In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him. Shrove Tuesday celebrationsShrove Tuesday is a day of celebration as well as penitence, because it's the last day before Lent. Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Giving up foods: but not wasting them. In the old days there were many foods that observant Christians would not eat during Lent: foods such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the shriving Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off. The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras; meaning fat Tuesday. Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour. Have you ever wondered why people tend to eat pancakes on the day before Ash Wednesday? Believers around the world celebrate Shrove Tuesday each year and if you’ve never celebrated it yourself, read below to learn what Shrove Tuesday is and how you can celebrate it with your family. Shrove Tuesday is held on the day preceding Ash Wednesday. It signals the end of Epiphany and the beginning of Lent (a time of penance and renewal prior to Easter) in the liturgical calendar of many Christian traditions. Shrove Tuesday ushers in the Quinquagesima, the fifty-day period before Easter, which begins the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is the final day of “Shrovetide,” a three-day period leading into Lent.[1] Shrove Tuesday occurs precisely 47 days before Easter and is a moveable feast determined by the lunar calendar. Its name is derived from the term ‘shrive’, which refers to the ritual of confession for sins leading into the penitential season of Lent.[2] In traditions such as Roman Catholicism, a priest administers this ritual and pronounces God’s forgiveness and absolution for sins. The tradition of shriving before Lent dates back to the Middle Ages (c. A.D. 1000).[3] Who celebrates Shrove Tuesday?Shrove Tuesday is observed by many church traditions and in various cultures worldwide.[4] Mainline Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran churches observe it. Less evangelical and independent churches observe it. However, a renewed interest in the liturgical calendar and its accompanying practices (such as Shrove Tuesday) has arisen among younger generations of evangelicals.[5] There is no biblical mandate requiring Christians to observe Shrove Tuesday; it is a matter of personal conviction. However, concepts like confession (Prov. 28:13; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9) and feasting and celebration (Eccl. 3:13; Rom. 14:5-6; 1 Cor. 10:31) are warranted and beneficial for believers. Why and how do Christians celebrate Shrove Tuesday?Essential to this day is the practice of confession of sins to God and others. Confession allows believers to acknowledge their sinfulness and need for God’s grace, which is given to them through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Shrove Tuesday is both a day of spiritual preparation and celebration. As a day of spiritual preparation, it is viewed as a time for cleansing the soul from sinful appetites through confession and submission to the Lord. As a day of celebration, it is the last opportunity to do so before the solemn Lenten season begins. Lent is marked by a forty-day fast (or abstinence) from certain foods and practices. Therefore, Shrove Tuesday is the last day to feast on foods (e.g., meat and fish, fatty foods, sugars, eggs and dairy) traditionally prohibited during the fast. Shrove Tuesday has a variety of rituals and customs associated with it. It is popularly known as ‘Pancake Day’ or ‘Pancake Tuesday’ in the United Kingdom, because observers eat pancakes made from the rich foods (e.g., eggs, milk sugar) not permitted during the Lenten fast. Games, sport and community events also accompany this day.[6] How can families incorporate Shrove Tuesday into their traditions?Shrove Tuesday is a great way to begin incorporating the church calendar into your family traditions. Brainstorm creative ideas together as a family on how to make the most of the day – how to use the time for spiritual growth and growth together as a family. Consider asking your church to observe Shrove Tuesday together with a pancake dinner or host a feast with friends and neighbors. This is an excellent occasion to share a meal–and your life–with other believers and non-believers in your neighborhood and community. This type of event can serve as a platform for gospel conversations and evangelism opportunities with friends. You can set aside time that day to focus on scripture that highlight God’s forgiveness (e.g., the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32) or read prayers together. The Book of Common Prayer offers a number of prayers of confession and pardon that families can read together. Another work to consider is The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and confessions. How does Shrove Tuesday prepare us for Lent?While expressions of Shrove Tuesday vary from culture to culture, many Christians continue to observe it with confession and absolution, in addition to feasting and celebration. It is a reminder that God’s people are entering the Lenten season of fasting and self-denial. Shrove Tuesday prepares believers for Lent by allowing time for reflection and spiritual renewal before entering the solemn Lenten season. More Ways to Connect as a Family as You Prepare Your Hearts for Easter:Download our Easter Coloring and Activity Pack for coloring sheets, a word search, and maze to engage your kids as they learn about Holy Week and Easter. Watch the Easter Week 5 Minute Family Devotional Series on Minno!
If you’re already a Minno subscriber, watch now! Not a subscriber? What are you waiting for?! Sign up for your free trial HERE. Read about the days of Holy Week in this series:What is Holy Week?Holy Week History: What is Palm Sunday?Holy Week History: What is Maundy Thursday?Holy Week History: What is Good Friday?Holy Week History: What is Easter Sunday?[1] Herbert Thurston, “Shrovetide,” The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 13 (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912), accessed February 5, 2015, http://newadvent.org/cathen/13763a.htm. [2] F.L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 1506. [3] Fr. William Saunders cites the Anglo-Saxon “Ecclesial Institutes,” recorded by Theodulphus and translated by Abbot Aelfric: “In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what he is to do [in the way of penance].” Fr. William Saunders, “Shrovetide and Shrove Tuesday,” CatholicCulture.org, accessed February 4, 2015, http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5877. [4] For a list of different cultures observing Shrove Tuesday, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday. [5] Gracy Olmstead, “Why Millennials Long for Liturgy: Is the High Church the Christianity of the Future?,” The American Conservative, accessed February 4, 2015, http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-millennials-long-for-liturgy/. [6] “Holidays – Lent,” BBC News, accessed February 5, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml. Originally published on February 28, 2017 Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalizing one's Lenten sacrifice, as well as eating pancakes and other sweets.[2][3] Pieter Bruegel the Elder: The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (detail), 1559 Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,[4] who "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with."[5] This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning "absolve".[6] As this is the last day of the Christian liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide, before the penitential season of Lent, related popular practices, such as indulging in food that one might give up as their Lenten sacrifice for the upcoming forty days, are associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations. The term Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Many Christian congregations thus observe the day through eating pancakes or, more specifically, the holding of pancake breakfasts, as well as the ringing of church bells to remind people to repent of their sins before the start of Lent.[2][7] On Shrove Tuesday, churches also burn the palms distributed during the previous year's Palm Sunday liturgies to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday.[3] In some Christian countries, especially those where the day is called Mardi Gras or a translation thereof, it is a carnival day, the last day of "fat eating" or "gorging" before the fasting period of Lent.[6] The tradition of marking the start of Lent has been documented for centuries. Ælfric of Eynsham's "Ecclesiastical Institutes" from around 1000 AD states: "In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him as he then may hear by his deeds what he is to do [in the way of penance]".[8] By the time of the late Middle Ages, the celebration of Shrovetide lasted until the start of Lent.[9] It was traditional in many societies to eat pancakes or other foods made with the butter, eggs and fat or lard that would need to be used up before the beginning of Lent. Similar foods are fasnachts and pączki.[10] The specific custom of British Christians eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates to the 16th century.[10] Along with its emphasis on feasting, another theme of Shrove Tuesday involves Christians repenting of their sins in preparation to begin the season of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar.[11] In many Christian parish churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, a popular Shrove Tuesday tradition is the ringing of the church bells (on this day, the toll is known as the Shriving Bell) "to call the faithful to confession before the solemn season of Lent" and for people to "begin frying their pancakes".[2][12] Russian artist Boris Kustodiev's Maslenitsa (1916) Shrove Tuesday, Bear guiding in Poland (1950) The word shrove is a form of the English word shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday was named after the custom of Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent.[13] In the United Kingdom, Ireland and parts of the Commonwealth, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday, as it became a traditional custom to eat pancakes as a meal.[14][15][16][17][9] In Irish the day is known as Máirt Inide, from the Latin initium (Jejūniī), "beginning of Lent."[18] Elsewhere, the day has also been called "Mardi Gras", meaning "Fat Tuesday", after the type of celebratory meal that day.[19] In Germany, the day is known as Fastnachtsdienstag, Faschingsdienstag, Karnevalsdienstag or Veilchendienstag (the last of which translates to violet [the flower] Tuesday). It is celebrated with fancy dress and a partial school holiday. Similarly, in German American areas, such as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, it is known as Fastnacht Day.[20] In the Netherlands, it is known as "vastenavond", or in Limburgish dialect "vastelaovend", though the word "vastelaovend" usually refers to the entire period of carnival in the Netherlands.[21] In some parts of Switzerland (e.g. Lucerne), the day is called Güdeldienstag or Güdisdienstag (preceded by Güdismontag). According to the Duden dictionary, the term derives from "Güdel", which means a fat belly stuffed full of food.[22] In Portuguese-, Spanish- and Italian-speaking countries, among others, it is known as Carnival (to use the English spelling). This derives from Medieval Latin carnelevamen ("the putting away of flesh")[23] and thus to another aspect of the Lenten fast, to abstain from eating meat. It is often celebrated with street processions or fancy dress.[21] The most famous of these events has become the Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Venetians have long celebrated carnival with a masquerade.[24] The use of the term "carnival" in other contexts derives from this celebration. In Spain, the Carnival Tuesday is named "día de la tortilla" ("omelette day"): an omelette made with some sausage or pork fat is eaten. On the Portuguese island of Madeira, malasadas are eaten on Terça-feira Gorda (Fat Tuesday in English), which is also the last day of the Carnival of Madeira. Malasadas were cooked in order to use up all the lard and sugar in the house, in preparation for Lenten restrictions.[25] This tradition was taken to Hawaii, where Shrove Tuesday is known as Malasada Day, which dates back to the days of the sugar plantations of the 1800s. The resident Catholic Portuguese workers (who came mostly from Madeira and the Azores) used up butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of malasadas.[26] In Denmark and Norway, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is called Fetetirsdag ("Fat Tuesday"); the prior weekend is known as Fastelavn and is marked by eating fastelavnsboller. Fastelavn is the name for Carnival in Denmark, held either on the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn developed from the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but, after Denmark became a Protestant nation, the holiday became less specifically religious. This holiday occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday, with children dressing up in costumes and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast. The holiday is generally considered to be a time for children's fun and family games.[27] In Estonia, the day is similarly called Vastlapäev and is generally celebrated by eating pea soup and whipped-cream or whipped-cream and jam-filled sweet-buns called vastlakukkel, similar to the Swedish fastlagsbulle or semla. Children also typically go sledding on this day.[28] In Iceland, the day is known as Sprengidagur (Bursting Day) and is marked by eating salted meat and peas.[25] In Lithuania, the day is called Užgavėnės. People eat pancakes (blynai) and Lithuanian-style doughnuts.[29][30] In Sweden, the day is called Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday), and is generally celebrated by eating a type of sweet roll called fastlagsbulle or semla.[25] In Finland, the day is called laskiainen and is generally celebrated by eating green pea soup and a pastry called laskiaispulla (sweet bread filled with whipped cream and jam or almond paste, same as the Swedish semla). The celebration often includes downhill sledging. In Poland, a related celebration falls on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and is called tłusty czwartek (Fat Thursday). In some areas of the United States, with large Polish communities, such as Chicago, Buffalo and Michigan, Tłusty Czwartek is celebrated with pączki or faworki eating contests, music and other Polish food. It may be held on Shrove Tuesday or in the days immediately preceding it.[31] In Slovenia, Kurentovanje is also the biggest and best known carnival.[32] There are several more local carnivals usually referred to as Laufarija. In Hungary, and the Hungarian-speaking territories, it is called Húshagyókedd [33] (literally the Tuesday leaving the meat) and is celebrated by fancy dress and visiting neighbours.Shrove Tuesday serves a dual purpose of allowing Christians to repent of any sins they might have made before the start of Lent on the next day Ash Wednesday and giving them the opportunity to engage in a last round of merriment before the start of the somber Lenten season, which is characterized by making a Lenten sacrifice, fasting, praying and engaging in various spiritual disciplines, such as marking a Lenten calendar, fasting, abstaining from luxuries, and reading a daily devotional.[1] Pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding Lent, because they are a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasizes eating simpler food, and refraining from food that would give undue pleasure: in many cultures, this means no meat, lacticinia (dairy products) or eggs.[34] In Newfoundland and Cape Breton Island, small tokens are frequently cooked in the pancakes. Children take delight in discovering the objects, which are intended to be divinatory. For example, the person who receives a coin will be wealthy; a nail indicates that they will become or marry a carpenter.[35][36] Observances
On the final day of the Shrovetide season, Shrove Tuesday, many traditional Christians, such as Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,[37] "make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with."[38] As such, many churches offer confession and absolution on Shrove Tuesday.[39] On Shrove Tuesday, many Christians finalize their decision with respect to what Lenten sacrifices they will make for Lent.[40] While making a Lenten sacrifice, it is customary to pray for strength to keep it; many often wish others for doing so as well, e.g. "May God bless your Lenten sacrifice."[41][42] During Shrovetide, many churches place a basket in the narthex to collect the previous year's Holy Week palm branches that were blessed and distributed during the Palm Sunday liturgies; on Shrove Tuesday, churches burn these palms to make the ashes used during the services held on the very next day, Ash Wednesday.[3][43] FestivitiesFootball match in the 1846 Shrove Tuesday in Kingston upon Thames, England In the United Kingdom, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday "mob football" games, some dating as far back as the 17th century.[44] The practice mostly died out in the 19th century after the passing of the Highway Act 1835 which banned playing football on public highways.[45] A number of towns have maintained the tradition, including Alnwick in Northumberland (Scoring the Hales),[46] Ashbourne in Derbyshire (called the Royal Shrovetide Football),[47] Atherstone in Warwickshire (called simply the Atherstone Ball Game),[48] St Columb Major in Cornwall (called Hurling the Silver Ball), and Sedgefield in County Durham (Sedgefield Ball Game).[49] Shrove Tuesday was once known as a "half-holiday" in Britain. It started at 11:00 am with the ringing of a church bell.[50] On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake, tossing it to prevent it from burning.[51][52] The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan while running.[53] The pancake race at Olney traditionally has women contestants who carry a frying pan and race over a 415-yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants must toss the pancake at the start and the finish, and wear a scarf and apron.[51] Since 1950, the people of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney have held the "International Pancake Day" race between the two towns. The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns' competitors are compared to determine a winner overall. As of 2021, Liberal leads the competition with 38 wins to Olney's 31.[54] A similar race is held in North Somercotes in Lincolnshire, England.[55] In London, the Rehab Parliamentary Pancake Race takes place every Shrove Tuesday, with teams from the British lower house (the House of Commons), the upper house (the House of Lords), and the Fourth Estate, contending for the title of Parliamentary Pancake Race Champions. The fun relay race is to raise awareness of Rehab, which provides a range of health and social care, training, education, and employment services in the UK for disabled people and others who are marginalised.[56] A pancake race in Olney, Buckinghamshire, 2009 Scarborough celebrates by closing the foreshore to all traffic, closing schools early, and inviting all to skip. Traditionally, long ropes were used from the nearby harbour. The town crier rang the pancake bell, situated on the corner of Westborough (main street) and Huntriss Row. Since 1996 a replica "pancake bell" situated at Newborough and North Street has been rung to initiate the day's festivities.[57] The children of the hamlet of Whitechapel, Lancashire keep alive a local tradition by visiting local households and asking "please a pancake", to be rewarded with oranges or sweets. It is thought the tradition arose when farm workers visited the wealthier farm and manor owners to ask for pancakes or pancake fillings.[58] Shrove Tuesday in England often involved a form of ritual begging, not dissimilar to wassailing, in which children and adolescents would go door-to-door asking for tidbits from the frying pan. If the household was not forthcoming, they could expect levels of mischief, including the pelting of their house, knock and run, or gate stealing. This was known as Lent Crocking, Nicky-Nan Night, the Drawing of Cloam, Dappy-Door Night, or Pan Sharding.[59] In Ireland, the observance of fasting at Lent continued up to the 20th century, with Shrove Tuesday marking the last day of the consumption of meat for the Lenten period. This was later relaxed, but with three days of fasting observed, Ash Wednesday, Spy Wednesday, and Good Friday. It was a tradition that the eldest unmarried daughter would toss the first pancake. If the pancake fell on the floor, she would remain unmarried for the next 12 months. As marriages were not traditionally permitted during the Lenten period, as decreed by the Council of Trent, weddings on Shrove Tuesday were popular.[60][61] In some parts of Ireland the holly from Christmas was saved and burnt in the fire for the pancakes. The night was also known as Skellig Night in Counties Cork and Kerry, during the celebrations, those who were unmarried were taunted with jeers and singing.[62] In Scandinavia, in particular in Finland and Sweden, the day is associated with the almond paste-filled sweet roll.[63] In Finland, the day is known as Laskiainen. It is a celebration with Finnish origins, which includes both pagan and ecclesiastic traditions, and is often described as a "mid-winter sliding festival".[64] Thin pancakes called blini are traditional in Christian festivals in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia also at this time of year (Maslenitsa).[65] Shrove Tuesday and other named days and day ranges around Lent and Easter in Western Christianity, with the fasting days of Lent numbered Shrove Tuesday is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, a moveable feast based on the cycles of the moon. The date can be between 3 February and 9 March inclusive. Shrove Tuesday occurs on these dates:[66] 2022 – March 1 2023 – February 21 2024 – February 13 2025 – March 4 2026 – February 17 2027 – February 9 2028 – February 29 2029 – February 13 2030 – March 5 2031 – February 25 2032 – February 10 2033 – March 1 2034 – February 21 2035 – February 6 2036 – February 26 2037 – February 17 2038 – March 9 2039 – February 22 2040 – February 14 2041 – March 5 2042 – February 18 2043 – February 10 2044 – March 1 2045 – February 21 2046 – February 6 2047 – February 26 2048 – February 18 2049 – March 2 2050 – February 22 2051 – February 14 2052 – March 5 2053 – February 18 2054 – February 10 2055 – March 2 2056 – February 15 2057 – March 6 2058 – February 26 2059 – February 11 2060 – March 2 2061 – February 22 2062 – February 7 2063 – February 27 2064 – February 19 2065 – February 10 2066 – February 23 2067 – February 15 2068 – March 6 2069 – February 26 2070 – February 11 2071 – March 3 2072 – February 23 2073 – February 7 2074 – February 27 2075 – February 19 2076 – March 3 2077 – February 23 2078 – February 15 2079 – March 7 2080 – February 20 2081 – February 11 2082 – March 3 2083 – February 16 2084 – February 8 2085 – February 27 2086 – February 12 2087 – March 4 2088 – February 24 2089 – February 15 2090 – February 28 2091 – February 20 2092 – February 12 2093 – February 24 2094 – February 16 2095 – March 8 2096 – February 28 2097 – February 12 2098 – March 4 2099 – February 24 2100 – February 9
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