February 28, 2017
Dear Friends and Family of Faith,
Today is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday. So, I share some history.From the earliest days of Christianity Lent was always been a time of fasting and self-restraint. Today, fasting is usually confined to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but some still abstain from meat on these days as well as Fridays during Lent.
In past centuries the fast was quite severe. Christians abstained from all meat and items that came from animals, including butter, eggs, cheese, and fat. That is why Shrove Tuesday became known as Mardi Gras, the French term for Fat Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is a reminder that Christians are entering a season of repentance. Originally, Shrove Tuesday was a solemn day, but over the centuries, in anticipation of the Lenten fast that would begin the next day, Shrove Tuesday took on a festive nature. Over time, Mardi Gras extended from a single day to the entire period of Shrovetide, the days from TransfigurationSunday through Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove is the past tense of the word shrive, which means to hear a confession, assign penance, and absolve from sin. In the Middle Ages, especially in Northern Europe and England, it became the custom to confess one's sins on the day before Lent began in order to enter the penitential season in the right spirit.
In the countries that speak Romance language (languages derived primarily from Latin), Shrovetide is also known as Carnivale - literally, "farewell to meat." In the English-speaking countries, Shrove Tuesday became known as Pancake Day, because Christians used up their eggs, butter, and milk to make pancakes and other pastries. Because all of these items need to be used up before the fast began, various Christian nations developed their own meat dishes, rich breads, and desserts for one last feast before the austerity of Lent. And thus the day became known as "Fat Tuesday" for obvious reasons.
After Fat Tuesday, the meat and dairy and eggs would all be preserved in various ways, and brought out again for the Easter feast, which lasted a full eight days, from Easter Sunday through the Sunday after Easter, known today as Divine Mercy Sunday. Thus the voluntary giving up of foods that are good in themselves to focus on spiritual growth was both preceded and followed by the recognition of the good things that God has given us.
Pastor Sandy
Dear Friends and Family of Faith,
Today is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday. So, I share some history.From the earliest days of Christianity Lent was always been a time of fasting and self-restraint. Today, fasting is usually confined to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but some still abstain from meat on these days as well as Fridays during Lent.
In past centuries the fast was quite severe. Christians abstained from all meat and items that came from animals, including butter, eggs, cheese, and fat. That is why Shrove Tuesday became known as Mardi Gras, the French term for Fat Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is a reminder that Christians are entering a season of repentance. Originally, Shrove Tuesday was a solemn day, but over the centuries, in anticipation of the Lenten fast that would begin the next day, Shrove Tuesday took on a festive nature. Over time, Mardi Gras extended from a single day to the entire period of Shrovetide, the days from TransfigurationSunday through Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove is the past tense of the word shrive, which means to hear a confession, assign penance, and absolve from sin. In the Middle Ages, especially in Northern Europe and England, it became the custom to confess one's sins on the day before Lent began in order to enter the penitential season in the right spirit.
In the countries that speak Romance language (languages derived primarily from Latin), Shrovetide is also known as Carnivale - literally, "farewell to meat." In the English-speaking countries, Shrove Tuesday became known as Pancake Day, because Christians used up their eggs, butter, and milk to make pancakes and other pastries. Because all of these items need to be used up before the fast began, various Christian nations developed their own meat dishes, rich breads, and desserts for one last feast before the austerity of Lent. And thus the day became known as "Fat Tuesday" for obvious reasons.
After Fat Tuesday, the meat and dairy and eggs would all be preserved in various ways, and brought out again for the Easter feast, which lasted a full eight days, from Easter Sunday through the Sunday after Easter, known today as Divine Mercy Sunday. Thus the voluntary giving up of foods that are good in themselves to focus on spiritual growth was both preceded and followed by the recognition of the good things that God has given us.
Pastor Sandy