Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in Western Christian churches. It occurs between February 2 and March 9, depending on the date of Easter.

Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the day is sometimes still used for self-examination and introspection, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired the character of a carnival or festival in many places and is often celebrated with parades. For example, in the Shrove Tuesday Carnival held in Binche, Belgium, revelers known as Gilles (after a clown-like stock character in commedia dell’arte named Gille) march through the town dressed in red, yellow, and black costumes and wax masks. Later they don ostrich-feather hats and throw oranges to onlookers.

As the final day before the austerity of the Lenten fast, Shrove Tuesday has many customs pertaining to food—in particular, sweet foods containing eggs, sugar, and fat, which were commonly forbidden during Lent and would otherwise go to waste in the six and a half weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Pancakes are the traditional choice in a number of European countries; the day is known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Ireland and in many Commonwealth countries. Similarly rich pre-Lenten treats include pa̡czki, fruit-filled deep-fried pastries similar to doughnuts that are enjoyed in Poland and in ethnic Polish communities in the United States. An iconic part of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) in New Orleans is the king cake, an iced ring-shaped pastry that is sprinkled with gold, green, and purple sugar and typically contains a plastic figurine representing the baby Jesus. Traditionally, the person who receives the piece of king cake containing the figurine is named “king” or “queen” of the Mardi Gras festivities and is obligated to host the next party of the season. See also Carnival.