Shrove Monday

Shrove Monday is a Catholic holiday of Lent, celebrated annually on the first day of Lent, or the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Monday during the week of Lent celebrates Shrovetide.

The word shrove, means confess or confess. This festival is held very large in Europe, the United States, Ireland, Australia, England, Canada ... especially very famous in New Orleans, the United States.

People go to the street with masks and colorful costumes, the images are reversed with the usual social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, and car parades... very funny.

In some countries, instead of Shrove Monday, people celebrate Shrove Tuesday. Just different calling, but Shrove Monday or Shrove Tuesday is the same festival and organization.

Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, and people usually eat a delicious, fatty meal before beginning the ritual Lenten fast the next day on Ash Wednesday.

This day is also known as Crepe Day (pancake). Pancake is a thin cake made from flour that is fried golden on both sides. This cake is made of eggs – Eggs are meant to be creative, proliferating. The main ingredients of the cake are flour - the basic food for human sustenance and salt - representing the desire to live, the salty taste to flavor the spirit and milk - representing purity. Pancake is usually served with a special golden syrup or lemon juice. Many places also add fruits, butter, chocolate, jam... depending on the user's preferences.

The first pancake recipe was found in 1439 and is loved to this day. In many places, there are restaurants specializing in selling pancakes, and there are places where there is a Pancake Buffet restaurant, that is, you can eat as many cakes as you want for a certain price. It is said that the round shape and yellow color of the pancakes represent the Sun. Warm sunshine and sunlight dispel the cold winter days and signal the arrival of spring.

In the UK, the pancake race is an integral part of Shrove Tuesday. People race on the road while tossing pancakes, the winner is the person who runs the fastest while still tossing the cake on the pan without falling. Fat Tuesday is the last day before fasting, abstaining from delicious, fatty foods before the beginning of Lent of repentance.

Lent lasts 40 days before Easter, this is the time when Christians fast, mortify, keep their word, repent, do good works... Europeans and Americans have long lived in peace and prosperity, with many cultural and sports festivals to enjoy. But even though I'm happy, there are times when I want to come back to calm down and settle my soul to live better, more meaningfully, and bring joy to others.

Observing Shrove Monday

If you love the Shrove Monday of Lent, you can organize your observations in many different ways, depending on the country you live in and your religious beliefs. You can dress up and dance if you are in Germany, Brazil, or you can eat foods that are commonly offered on this day like Pancake. Either way, share your Shrove Monday with the hashtag #NationalShroveMonday.