Why Is Shrove Tuesday Celebrated?

Throughout much of the world, there are lingering Catholic influences left over from the Roman Empire and through the Middle Ages. One of those is Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday was to be spent examining yourself and deciding what needed addressing in your life and how you were going to deal with it during Lent.

Once those decisions had been made, the following day, Ash Wednesday, you would begin to address those things. There would then be forty days to correct the issues through Lent before Easter.

The time spent on Shrove Tuesday was often typified by fasting, repentant prayer and doing good deeds for others. This time was the last chance for solemn introspective examination before Lent.

Meaning of Lent

The period of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes on the night before Easter. Lent is the period of time before Easter when the faithful were called to repent for their sins, spend time in prayer and self-examination and put away the things of the flesh.

Many interpreted this in terms of earthly appetites. Therefore, the things that many people gave up for the lent period included sweets, meat and other foods or activities that were considered indulgent.

Shrove Tuesday in the Secular World

Today, for much of the world, Shrove Tuesday has become a time of celebration and indulgence. Shrove Tuesday is celebrated differently in the secular world. The thought that seems to be in the minds of those that participate is that on this day, you should do all the things that you won’t be doing for the next forty days. It is the mentality of a last hoorah before Lent.

Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras

Another name for Shrove Tuesday is Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is also celebrated at this time. Giant parties, parades, and costume balls are all typical ways to observe the celebration.

Marti Gras is one of excessive indulgences and consuming everything that is potentially bad for you. Over eating, drinking, dancing and carrying on until all hours of the night are all indulgences of the flesh that are all common at Mardi Gras.

Where to Celebrate Shrove Tuesday

The two best known places for the celebration of Shrove Tuesday in the secular sense are New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. On Mardi Gras in New Orleans almost anything goes. There is public nudity in the streets of the French Quarter and the streets and bars are filled with parties galore. 

More Traditional Celebrations

While the day has become a party day for some, others celebrate in a more traditional sense. Many religious people have termed the day Pancake Tuesday. They celebrate by making pancakes and eating them with sweet toppings and other indulgences that may not be available during the period of Lent. It is also a resourceful way to get rid of those things in the kitchen that will be given up during Lent as a form of penance.

In some parts of the world, this event is celebrated as a community. There are parades and events in which to participate. The biggest event of the day is the Pancake Race. The women of the town perform this race. They all have a pancake in a frying pan and are required to race to the finish line while flipping the pancakes in the pan. The winner of the race is the woman that has crossed the finish line first and still has a non-burnt pancake in the pan.

Your Choice of Celebrations

If a person is not religious and especially not Catholic, there may not be a personal meaning for you of Shrove Tuesday. You can choose to either not celebrate it or to treat it as another special day to party and have fun. Whichever way you choose to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, enjoy the holiday.