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Shrove Tuesday


Tizeye

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Not sure what any of these foods have to do with Shrove Tuesday (or what Shrove Tuesday actually is!).  Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, sure. 

Shrove Tuesday (also known in Commonwealth countries and Ireland as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day) is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some Christian countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of "fat eating" or "gorging" before the fasting period of Lent.[2]

Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,[3] 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."[4] This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning "absolve".[2]

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 the holding of pancake breakfasts, as well as the ringing of church bells to remind people to remember to repent of their sins before the start of Lent.[5][6]

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Tomorrow it's, "Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return."

When I was in public high school, it was ok for kids to come to school late on Ash Wednesday IF you had ashes on your forehead.  So, of course, we all got our ashes - even some non-Catholic teenage friends we'd bring along to church with us!

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19 minutes ago, MickinMD said:

Tomorrow it's, "Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return."

When I was in public high school, it was ok for kids to come to school late on Ash Wednesday IF you had ashes on your forehead.  So, of course, we all got our ashes - even some non-Catholic teenage friends we'd bring along to church with us!

I did that once with my Catholic friends. 

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Pancakes became associated with Fat or Shrove Tuesday because in preparation for the Lenten fast of 40 days, they wanted to use up all the items they couldn’t consume in lent. Meat, Milk, eggs, butter and sugar. A feast was prepared the day before Ash Wednesday and, over time became Pancake Tuesday, Mardi Gras, and Carnival. After 40 days of no eggs eaten, there was an oversupply as the chickens, not being Catholic and all that, kept on laying eggs. That’s why we currently dye eggs and do the egg hunts on Easter Sunday. 


We are having pancakes tonight, made the old fashioned way with flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and butter.  I am adding blueberries to the last batch for me as the heathens don’t like blueberry pancakes. Cooking bacon in the oven too.

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It's a day of preparation for Lent.  If you're gonna repent during Lent, you need to catch up on your sinning during Carnival to make it effective!

I do find it interesting, going to church on Ash Wednesday is not an obligation, getting ashes is a tradition, not  a requirement, but we'll see about 3 times as many people tomorrow than we do on Sundays.  I guess they're coming because it's a giveaway day - free ashes.

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