Shrove Tuesday is often referred to as Pancake Day. This is a Christian tradition that marks the day before the start of the Christian season of Lent, a solemn Christian religious observance commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert.
Shrove Tuesday is a day of feasting before embarking on the 40-day period of fasting and reflection leading up to Easter.
Historically speaking, “Shrove Tuesday” was a day on which one confessed one’s sins and received absolution from a priest, but it has also become a secular celebration enjoyed by people of all backgrounds, with a primary focus on the joy of making and enjoying pancakes.
After Shrove Tuesday comes Ash Wednesday, which is observed by many Christians as a holy day of prayer and fasting, marking the first day of Lent.
Many Christians attend special Ash Wednesday church services. At these services people may receive ash, in the form of a cross marked on their foreheads or sprinkled over their heads, as a reminder to turn away from sin, be faithful to the Gospel and that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.
The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday celebrations. Palm Sunday falls on the Sunday before Easter and commemorates Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem, when people waved palm branches to greet and honour him.
Leading the Ash Wednesday Service at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (Stospley Luton), the Parish Priest, Fr Allan Jones, reminded everyone that besides fasting, giving up certain food items, and giving to charity, we must try spending more time in prayer, and less time online. He highlighted the world’s needs and people in despair, particularly in the war-torn countries such as Gaza – they all need our help, aid and prayers.
A Sacred Heart Church member said, “We do not wear ashes to proclaim our holiness, but to acknowledge that we are sinners, in need of repentance and renewal.”
Fr Allan encouraged congregants to learn to live in solidarity with the less fortunate, reflect on where we have fallen short of God’s hope for us and pray so we all can become better agents of God’s love in the world.
Fr Allan Jones (R) and Deacon Jim Bannan (L) leading the the Ash Wednesday Service at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church (Stospley Luton)