As far back as 1000AD, Shrove Tuesday has been observed. It gets it's name from the ritual of "shriving"...when the faithful confess their sins to the local priest and received forgiveness before the Lenten season begins.
Historically it also marks the beginning of the 40 day Lenten fasting period when the faithful were forbidden by the church to consume meat, butter, eggs or milk. But what to do if you have a store of these foods? What could you do to use them up so they didn't go bad by Easter Sunday when the fast ended? A solution presented itself in the form of pancakes...and lots of them!
Shrove (or Fat) Tuesday has long been a time of merry making (think Mardi Gras or Carnival) prior to the days of reflection required by Lent. The next day, we are called to church to have our foreheads marked with the Ashes to begin the Lenten season.
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