Bottomless pancake supper marks ‘Shrove Tuesday’ at St. David’s Episcopal Church
Pancake lovers can rejoice because St. David’s Episcopal Church is holding its annual pre-Lenten Pancake Supper at the end of February.
Happening from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, families and individuals can take part in a bottomless pancake buffet, with various syrups and toppings to complement the flap jacks.
PROPOSED: “Our pancake supper closely follows the English ‘Fat Tuesday’ tradition right before Lent,” said Fr. David Pike, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church. “Commonly known as ‘Shrove Tuesday’ in United Kingdom, we try to be an authentic as possible to our brothers and sisters in the Anglican communion.”
According to Wikipedia, many English towns hold traditional Shrove Tuesday football games — which is known as soccer in the United States — throughout the British Isles. Other traditions include pancake races.
The word “shrove” comes from the Roman Catholic practice of being “shriven,” meaning “confessing your sins.” The shriving bell was rung on Shrove Tuesday to call people into church to confess their sins.
To prepare for Lent, all temptations — typically luxury food products like eggs, milk, cheese and meat — were removed from the home in a period three Sundays before Ash Wednesday. This was known as Shrovetide and provided an opportunity for indulgence right before the stricter Lent season.
The easiest way to dispose of luxury food was to make pancakes or a fritter.
That’s how “Shrove Tuesday” was born.
In the Christian tradition, the 40 days before Easter Sunday are known as Lent. Christians mark the time that Jesus spent fasting in the desert — 40 days — by fasting and praying.
Ash Wednesday — on Feb. 26 this year — marks the first day of Lent.