2007-02-17 11:04:17 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
pancake day also known as Shrove Tuesday’ has been held since 1445.
The day before the beginning of Lent is known as Shrove Tuesday. To shrive someone, in old-fashioned English (he shrives, he shrove, he has shriven or he shrives, he shrived, he has shrived), is to hear his acknowledgement of his sins, to assure him of God's forgiveness, and to give him appropriate spiritual advice. The term survives today in ordinary usage in the expression "short shrift". To give someone short shrift is to pay very little attention to his excuses or problems. The longer expression is, "to give him short shrift and a long rope," which formerly meant to hang a criminal with a minimum of delay.
On Shrove Tuesday, many Christians make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with. Often they consult on these matters with a spiritual counselor, or receive shrift.
Shrove Tuesday is also called Fat Tuesday (in French, Mardi=Tuesday; gras=fat, as in "pate de foie gras", which is liver paste and very fatty), because on that day a thrifty housewife uses up the fats that she has kept around (the can of bacon drippings, or whatever) for cooking, but that she will not be using during Lent. Since pancakes are a standard way of using up fat, the day is also called Pancake Tuesday. In England, and perhaps elsewhere, the day is celebrated with pancake races. The contestants run a course while holding a griddle and flipping a pancake. Points are awarded for time, for number and height of flips, and number of times the pancake turns over. There are of course penalties for dropping the pancake.
2007-02-17 11:14:57 · answer #1 · answered by IndianaHoosier 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It occurs just before lent, which was a time when many people would fast for a month. Pancake day was a day where they used all the things in their home that would go off in this time phrase, Milk, Eggs and Flour.
2007-02-17 11:07:17 · answer #2 · answered by Alex B 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pancake day is the day when you empty your fridge and use it all up ,because the day after is ash wednesday,the start of lent,where you give up something for 6 weeks before Easter sunday.
2007-02-17 11:09:00 · answer #3 · answered by Dooby 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Every day is pancake day to me!
2007-02-17 11:06:46 · answer #4 · answered by ஐ♥Gin♥ஐ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is the day before the start of lent and the story I was told was that it comes from people using up all their rich foods before lent (when the couldn't have them)
2007-02-17 11:07:31 · answer #5 · answered by aleta_uk_0 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i cant remember waht religion it was but they fast for lent and use all their eggs flour milk etc up on the tuesday before ash wednesday, when they start to fast
2007-02-17 11:08:31 · answer #6 · answered by yoyoandchar 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is the day before lent.
So people used the 'perishables' before giving them up
2007-02-17 11:10:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its from christianity, where u had to use up everything that would go bad, in preparing to fast for Lent. so they used like eggs and flour and butter, and lemon, and voila!
2007-02-17 11:12:56 · answer #8 · answered by Princess Karena 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
to use up all the eggs before lent
2007-02-17 11:08:23 · answer #9 · answered by jobees 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not sure but glad it did cos I love them.
2007-02-17 11:28:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋