The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent.[2]. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of "shrovetide", somewhat analogous to the Carnival tradition that developed separately in countries of Latin Europe. The term "Shrove Tuesday" is no longer widely used in the United States or Canada outside of Liturgical Traditions, such as the Lutheran, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic Churches.
In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, Shrove Tuesday is commonly known as "Pancake Day" or "Pancake Tuesday" due to the tradition of eating pancakes on the day.
Shrove Tuesday is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, a moveable feast based on the cycles of the moon. The date can be 3 February or 9 March or anything between.
Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: In many cultures, this means no meat, dairy, or eggs.
Here is my pancake ! I'll be putting my favourite sugar and fresh lemon juice on it...yum !
