Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday, the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in Western Christian churches. It occurs between February 2 and March 9, depending on the date of Easter. Shrove, derived from shrive, refers to the confession of sins as a preparation for Lent, a usual practice in Europe in the Middle Ages. Although the day is still used for self-examination and introspection by many practicing Roman Catholics and other Christians, Shrove Tuesday eventually acquired the character of a more secular carnival or festival in many places. The day is culturally important in many areas.

Festivities

In contemporary practice Shrove Tuesday is marked by festive meals, social gatherings, parades, and other public celebration, though customs vary by region. For example, in the Shrove Tuesday Carnival held in Binche, Belgium, revelers known as Gilles (after a clown-like stock character in commedia dell’arte named Gille) march through the town dressed in red, yellow, and black costumes and wax masks. Later they don ostrich-feather hats and throw oranges to onlookers. The Carnival of Binche was inscribed to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

In the village of Podence, in northern Portugal, traditional figures called Caretos roam the streets from Fat Sunday (the Sunday before Ash Wednesday) through Shrove Tuesday, jumping, shouting and frightening with their costumes and antics. This lively celebration was inscribed to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019.

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Shrove Tuesday marks the close of Brazil’s festive Carnival season, which typically features colorful parades and samba. Playful water fights are also common in parts of Latin America, as the day falls during the middle of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the United States, New Orleans hosts numerous parades throughout Carnival season, each of which is organized by social clubs called krewes. These processions feature elaborately decorated floats, masked riders, marching bands, and the ceremonial throwing of beads and other tokens in the traditional colors of purple, green, and gold—symbolizing justice, faith, and power, respectively. Celebrations build throughout the season, culminating on Shrove Tuesday, known as Mardi Gras Day, with the Rex parade, the symbolic “King of Carnival.”

Foods

Food has long been central to the day’s identity. As the final day before the austerity of the Lenten fast, Shrove Tuesday has many customs pertaining to food—in particular, sweet foods containing eggs, sugar, and fat, which were commonly forbidden during Lent and would otherwise go to waste in the six and a half weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Pancakes are the traditional choice in a number of European countries; the day is known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Ireland and in many Commonwealth countries. Similarly rich pre-Lenten treats include pa̡czki, fruit-filled deep-fried pastries similar to doughnuts that are enjoyed in Poland and in ethnic Polish communities in the United States. Savory pancakes, fritters, and crêpes are associated with the celebration in many countries.

An iconic part of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) in New Orleans is the king cake, an iced ring-shaped pastry that is sprinkled with gold, green, and purple sugar and typically contains a plastic figurine representing the baby Jesus. Traditionally, the person who receives the piece of king cake containing the figurine is named “king” or “queen” of the Mardi Gras festivities and is obligated to host the next party of the season. See also Carnival.

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