Communities across the area will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday with pancake suppers. The Trinity United Church is scheduled to host its celebration on February 3. Shrove Tuesday (known in some countries as 鈥淧ancake Days鈥�) is a day in February or March preceding (the first day of ), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming . In others, especially those (including Louisiana) where it is called or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of "fat eating" or "gorging" before the fasting period of Lent.
This moveable festival is determined by . The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word , meaning . Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including , , and 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.
Being the last day before the season of , related popular practices, such as indulging in food that one sacrifices for the upcoming 40 days, are associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations, before commencing the fasting and religious obligations associated with Lent. The term is French for "Fat Tuesday," referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the season, which begins on .
The word shrove is a form of the English word , which means to obtain for one's by way of confessionand doing . Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of "shrovetide", somewhat analogous to the carnival tradition that developed separately in various countries of .
