Today is shrove Tuesday. It's also Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras. Today in America more people know about it for eating pancakes than anything else. Well at least in my small sampling they do. Several popular restaurants offer specials today. Now I know it is, or was, a religious thing and so many may not be aware of that. A couple of younger people I spoke with at the Walmart store gave me a blank stare when I mentioned that today was Shrove Tuesday, you know that brief awkward silence that follows, until I mentioned pancakes. Then the light came on, it's pancake day with no understanding of what that means. Of course Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and I wonder how many know about that. It's just a perception of mine but it seems like fewer and fewer Catholics get those ashes on their forehead. Maybe there just aren't as many Catholics in this area as in the areas I lived in the past.
For me it is a sure sign that spring is getting close. When I was young we always talked about giving something up for lent. I don't believe I ever did. My grandson did one year that I know of. He gave up eating Kit-Kats. He did it! I remember because I was amazed. I wasn't raised Catholic but we knew about some of those traditions. The word shrove, as I remember it being explained to me, meant being forgiven. During Lent you were supposed to be asking for forgiveness and it was a solemn time. Lent prepares you for Easter day. You are supposed to take stock of your life, make amends for wrongs, and generally get your pious on! On Easter we celebrate the resurrection. It's a rebirth.
It's true that when I was younger attending church every Sunday I was aware of the Christian calendar. Advent, Epiphany, Lent and Pentecost are what I recall. It would be listed on the top of the board that displayed what hymns were to be sung that day. The Reverend wore a different color stole for each season, I think. Not certain about that. Each season was explained as it arrived. I don't recall pancakes ever being mentioned as a part of that. I expect they were though, its' been a thing for a long time. In New Orleans for Mardi Gras they'll be having King cake. Hope you don't get the Baby. Yeah, that's a thing down there. Yes it's Carnival!
Well I've been trying to write this small thing about Shrove Tuesday but my cat is driving me crazy. So this is it for today. Morris is super hyper for some reason, maybe it is the change in his food. I've learned to not have any of those solar powered things in the windows. They are like a roadside attraction to him, irresistible. Anyway I've lost my train of thought altogether, derailed. Have a good day, eat some pancakes and let the repenting begin.
For me it is a sure sign that spring is getting close. When I was young we always talked about giving something up for lent. I don't believe I ever did. My grandson did one year that I know of. He gave up eating Kit-Kats. He did it! I remember because I was amazed. I wasn't raised Catholic but we knew about some of those traditions. The word shrove, as I remember it being explained to me, meant being forgiven. During Lent you were supposed to be asking for forgiveness and it was a solemn time. Lent prepares you for Easter day. You are supposed to take stock of your life, make amends for wrongs, and generally get your pious on! On Easter we celebrate the resurrection. It's a rebirth.
It's true that when I was younger attending church every Sunday I was aware of the Christian calendar. Advent, Epiphany, Lent and Pentecost are what I recall. It would be listed on the top of the board that displayed what hymns were to be sung that day. The Reverend wore a different color stole for each season, I think. Not certain about that. Each season was explained as it arrived. I don't recall pancakes ever being mentioned as a part of that. I expect they were though, its' been a thing for a long time. In New Orleans for Mardi Gras they'll be having King cake. Hope you don't get the Baby. Yeah, that's a thing down there. Yes it's Carnival!
Well I've been trying to write this small thing about Shrove Tuesday but my cat is driving me crazy. So this is it for today. Morris is super hyper for some reason, maybe it is the change in his food. I've learned to not have any of those solar powered things in the windows. They are like a roadside attraction to him, irresistible. Anyway I've lost my train of thought altogether, derailed. Have a good day, eat some pancakes and let the repenting begin.
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