Shrove Tuesday, February 24

Shrove Tuesday—the day before Lent starts, is traditionally a day of feasting before the fasting starts. Once this had a real purpose—all the rich food, fat, milk, eggs, and so forth was removed from homes for the duration of the season of Lent. In the US, the most famous celebration is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Brazil, of course, has Carnivale. Many churches and cities also have pancake suppers and other celebrations.

Around the world, the day has many names:
United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia - Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday
Brazil - Terça-feira gorda - Fat Tuesday is the final day of Carnivale in Brazil.
Greece - Apocreas, (from the meat) because meat isn’t eaten during Lent.
Sweden - Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday).
France they call it Mardi Gras, which means Grease or Fat Tuesday.
USA the day is known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, depending on the part of the country. Germany - Fastnacht
In Iceland the day is known as "Sprengidagur" (Bursting day). Isn't that a good title for the day we often stuff ourself with pancakes!

Shrove Tuesday is meant to be a reminder that we are setting aside rich living for the next 40 days and ought to be more intentional about seeking God. Many people give up something or take on a discipline. I invite you to join me on a journey this Lent. Today, we are standing on a mountain looking across the plains to the end of our Lent journey--Good Friday and then Easter! It looks like a long way, and 40 days seems like a long time. At the end, I hope we'll all find ourselves in a closer relationship with the God who loves us!


Each day during Lent, I will have a brief meditation on one of the lessons for the day (as taken from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer). You can participate as fully as you are able. The other lessons will be listed and you may want to read all the lessons, or just the one I focus on. Perhaps just reading the meditation will be all you have time for. I’ll try to ask some thought provoking question or two for you to think about during the day.

There will also be suggestions and questions for use in a Lenten journal. For some of us, a journal is a way of hearing God’s voice. If you decide to keep a journal this Lent, I hope it will enrich your journey.

See you on our way to Deepening our Intimacy (with God) this Lent.