Shrove Tuesday

This day is named for the "shriving" or confessing as it was traditional to confess sins and receive absolution just before Ash Wednesday. This day has become more synonymous with sins in need of absoultion through "Mardi Gras" and "Carnival." Mardi Gras, which means "Fat Tuesday" is the New Orleans version (begun in that city in the 1820s by art students recently returned from Paris which offered wild parties in the street on that night) and Carnival, which means "farewell to meat" is the decidedly Brazilian take on the party leading up to Lent. There are similar celebrations in other parts of the world.

"Fat Tuesday" was a time for eating the things from which one would abstain during Lent. Pancake suppers are traditional as they were a way of using up some of the ingredients not needed during Lent. King of Peace will have a pancake supper tonight at 6 p.m. followed by a rousing round of bingo for prizes.

Lent begins tomorrow. The custom is to mark the season of Lent by giving up some things and taking on others. Both can serve to mark the season as a holy time of preparation. Some examples of things people give up for Lent include sweets, meat for all or some meals, and alcohol. In most cases, giving up something for Lent can be made more meaningful by using the money or time for another purpose. For example, meal times on fast days could be spent in prayer. Another example is that if you give up meat during Lent, the extra money that would go to meat dishes can be given to a group, such as World Vision, which works to end hunger worldwide. Some things which may be added during Lent are daily Bible reading, fasting on Fridays, additional times of prayer, or taking a course of study related in some way to spirituality.

Note that the season of Lent is forty days plus the six Sundays. This is because Sundays are celebrations of Jesus’ resurrection and are always an appropriate day to lessen the restrictions of Lent. So that if you have, for example, given up chocolate for Lent, you could indulge in a weekly candy bar on Sunday.