Confession, the ritual burning of the previous year's Palm Sunday branches, finalizing one's Lenten sacrifice, eating pancakes and other sweets
Date
Concluding day of Carnival or Shrovetide; the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is always placed 47 days before the western Easter Sunday
2024 date
February 13
2025 date
March 4
2026 date
February 17
Frequency
Annual
Related to
Pre-Lent
Shrovetide
Carnival
Ash Wednesday
Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day) is the final day of Shrovetide, marking the end of pre-Lent. Lent begins the following day with Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday is observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession; 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]
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 the date of Easter. The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word shrive, meaning absolution following confession.[6][7] Christians traditionally visit their church on Shrove Tuesday to confess their sins and clean their soul, thus being shriven (absolved) before the start of Lent.[6]
As this is the last day of the Christian liturgical season historically known as Carnival or 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][8] 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.[7]
^Kelvey, Jon (13 February 2018). "Strawbridge United Methodist keeps Shrove Tuesday pancake tradition". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 25 February 2020. Many churches—Anglican and Methodist—celebrate Shrove Tuesday then as the beginning of the season of lent, a time to reflect and repent of wrongdoings. But, as Howard notes, it's also called Fat Tuesday, a time to load up on rich food before Lent (40 Days). "For some people it's Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, a time to fatten up before you give something up," he said.
^ abCite error: The named reference Cocks1897 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ab"Shrove Tuesday burning of the Palms". aranzazushrine.ph. DSPNSDA PPC. 2 March 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
^Walker, Katie (2011). Shrove Tuesday inspires unique church traditions. Archived 2016-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
^Provine, Darren (2014). Shrove Tuesday
^ abKane, Paul (15 December 2023). "Pancake Day facts!". National Geographic. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
^ abMelitta Weiss Adamson; Francine Segan (2008). Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0313086892. In Anglican countries, Mardis Gras is known as Shrove Tuesday-from shrive meaning "confess"—or Pancake Tuesday—after the breakfast food that symbolizes one final hearty meal of eggs, butter, and sugar before the fast. On Ash Wednesday, the morning after Mardi Gras, repentant Christians return to church to receive upon the forehead the sign of the cross in ashes.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^"Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast & Worship". Bishop United Methodist Church. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
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