What is Shrove Tuesday? Why do people observe 'Lent' ? (pancake day)

There are many traditions that have grown over the years,

some of which have been observed in one form

or another for many hundreds of years.

One such tradition is the Festival of Lent.

The preparation for this particular time involves many phases to be observed

and certain types of preparation to take place.

One such part of this is Shrove Tuesday.

But what exactly is it and why does it occur?

Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians,

including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,

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

this moveable feast is determined by Easter.

The expression Shrove Tuesday comes from

the word ‘shrive’, meaning absolve

The word Shrove is a

form of the English word ‘shrive’ which means to give absolution

for someone's sins by way of confession and doing penance.

This Shrove Tuesday was named after the custom

of Christians to be shriven before the start of Lent.

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.

Elsewhere, the day has also been called

Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday, after the type of celebratory meal

that day,

Many people enjoy

making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, even if they are not very religious.

They will still join in with the festival in their own way.

The basic pancake is made using Water.

Flour.

An egg, milk, salt.

And maybe a little sugar.

The mixture is very basic and the recipe simple.

Lemon juice is often added after the pancake has been cooked.

Other things can be poured over the pancake after it has been cooked,

including syrup or treacle.

Some people prefer to put cream and fresh fruit on theirs.

The pancake mix is referred to as batter.

The batter is poured into a frying pan where it is

gently heated until the batter becomes solid.

The hardest part of making a pancake is

flipping it over so as to cook the other side.

It is not uncommon for the first pancake to be a disaster.

But don't worry, the next one will be much better.

I'm sure it will be.

The Festival of

Lent is observed up to the arrival of Easter.

During this time, people will seek forgiveness or absolve themselves

by not doing certain things.

A bad habit, perhaps such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

Abstaining from eating during certain times of the day

is carried out during the Lent period.

Some people will avoid eating completely during this time

as a way of showing penance for their sins.

So there you have it.

A brief explanation of the Festival of Light.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and I look forward to seeing you again for another one.

If you are celebrating Pancake Day, I hope you have a good time.

And remember, don't eat too much.