Although Lent officially begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday, today is a day also strongly linked with the onset of Lent. The word 'Shrove' comes from an old English verb 'to shrive' which was associated with the repentance of sins and absolution, which when undertaken, sins were then said to be 'shriven'. Traditionally and symbolically, this was done by taking the palms used in the previous Sunday's service for Palm Sunday and burning them in a receptacle called a 'shrovarim'. The ashes from this ritual will then be used for blesing the congregation on Ash Wednesday. Therefore, today is about undertaking an examination of conscience, identifying the weaknesses in our lives and considering ways in which we can make amendments.
Today, Shrove Tuesday, has also been known as 'Fat Tuesday' or the French, Mardi Gras The reason for this is linked to the fast that takes place during the 40 days of Lent. Traditionally, again, people tended to fill up on fatty foods and rich foods as a treat before the long fast of Lent.
This day (or some traditions may include more days directly preceding Ash Wednesday) can be referred to as carnival (from carni, meaning 'meat'). As meat was sacrificed during the entire Lenten season, and not just on Fridays, people literally had a 'carnival' of meat before the great sacrifice of Lent!
Finally, as you probably know, today is also popularly known as pancake Tuesday. This tradition is most closely aligned to the English-Speaking world. The idea of the consumption of pancakes on this day is linked to the idea, not unlike that of Fat Tuesday, that the pancake mixture is made from rich ingredients such as flour, milk, eggs, sugar and fats, which would have been traditionally sacrificed during Lent.
Happy 'shriving' and enjoy the pancakes!!
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