Lenten Series: Shrove Tuesday

 The significance and importance of Lent - which begins tomorrow - is often overshadowed by its predecessor, Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday”, as the day before Ash Wednesday is known. 

Surprisingly, Mardi Gras is actually part of the celebration of Lent. Its original name is actually “Shrove Tuesday” or “Pancake Tuesday.”  Early Christians went to Confession the day before, to be “shrived” or absolved of their sins; they also kept a strict Lenten fast of no meat, eggs, or dairy, so the day before the beginning of Lent became a day of feasting. Pancakes became a common way to use up the butter, eggs, and milk in the house before Lent.

 The meaning of the King Cake, a beloved classic in Louisiana, is explained here:

"The King Cake is a brioche-style cake traditionally made throughout the State of Louisiana during the weeks prior to Mardi Gras. Usually oval in shape, the King Cake is...made from a rich Danish dough (which is a sweetened yeast bread...a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry) and covered with a poured sugar topping decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugars of purple (symbolizing Justice), green (symbolizing Faith) and gold (symbolizing Power). 

 This colorful topping is representative of a jeweled crown in honor of the Three Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany (a word derived from the Greek meaning "to show"). Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night (i.e., January 6) is when the Carnival Season officially begins."

Catholic Cuisine has some great recipes for Fat Shrove Tuesday. 

After feasting on Fat Tuesday, Catholics attend Mass on Ash Wednesday. Our foreheads are marked with ashes to remind us that life passes away. We were made from the earth when God fashioned Adam out of clay; we shall return to the earth when we die and are buried. 

 Ashes are an ancient symbol of penance which are made sacramental through the Church; they serve as an outward sign of the penance we are to embrace during this time of year.

 While tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting, prayer, and penance, today people all around the world  - both in Louisana and elsewhere - are celebrating. We have a large parade tonight that we plan to attend, as well as a party celebrating Mardi Gras and my little sister's birthday. There'll be gumbo, cake, and good friends! Happy Mardi Gras!