Whether you are ready or not we have come to the time of year where pancakes are going to be consumed on the masses by many countries across the globe on Tuesday 1st March. However, many people surprisingly do not understand the meaning behind pancake day and why we celebrate it.
As with most European Christian traditions, Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, started out as a Pagan celebration. The religious association of Shrove Tuesday began because the day preceding Ash Wednesday presented an opportunity to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The Christian liturgical fasting encouraged eating plainer food and avoiding food that were indulgent, including: meat, dairy products and eggs. The name Shrove Tuesday derives from the practice of Anglo-Saxon Christians going into confession the day before Lent and being ‘shriven’, absolved of their sins.
However, despite this celebration originating from a part of the Christian religion it does not mean that other non-Christians cannot and do not indulge in this day as it has become more of a national celebration for all, no matter the meaning and origins. A young Catholic Woman, Martina Quinzo, said: “I’m going to be honest, as a person who has had a predominantly Catholic up ringing, I have gone all these years without truly knowing why we have this day and how it came to be that we celebrate this day every year of eating pancakes. However, despite this I love how inclusive it is of everyone.”
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