Today many students within Catholic schools across Ontario were feasting on pancakes in celebration of Shrove Tuesday.
At École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys a group of parent volunteers were at the school all morning making over 350 pancakes and serving them to all the students in their classrooms. The school also dressed up in Mardi Gras with beads and vibrant colours to celebrate the day of indulgence before Ash Wednesday.
Cole a grade 4 student at École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys explains what Shrove Tuesday means: "Back in the day people would use up all their expensive foods such as flour, sugar, milk and eggs and make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. People would eat up all these foods and get them out of the house before they would begin fasting for Lent."
Cole explains what he will give up for lent, "I plan on giving up video games and French fries. But I don't plan on giving up Lego because Lego is good for me and it doesn't take any batteries."
Across the Catholic Campus at Pope John Paul II School, Shrove Tuesday was a real community event. The Knights of Columbus were hard at work in the kitchen cooking hundreds of pancakes for the school and the parent volunteers were there to serve the pancakes to the students and help with clean up.
"The Knights of Columbus have been serving pancakes at Pope John Paul II School since the school opened (in 2008), explains Doug Carlson. "It has been a long standing tradition that we (The Knights of Columbus) look forward to each year. The Knights of Columbus want to make a contribution to our Catholic schools and we really enjoy seeing the children. We look forward to Shrove Tuesday at Pope John Paul II School every year."
Molly a grade 6 student from Pope John Paul II school talks about what Shrove Tuesday means to her: "Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. God gave up his life for us and we are getting ready to celebrate by feasting on pancakes in preparation for Ash Wednesday and Lent. I will be giving up chocolate for Lent and I'll be doing extra chores around the house to help my family."
Sister Maria Ciccarelli Religious Education Coordinator provided this explanation:
Traditionally viewed as a day of repentance, Shrove Tuesday has become the last day of celebration and feasting before the period of fasting required during the Lenten season. The name "Shrove Tuesday" is derived from the word "shrive", which means to confess and receive absolution. Food items such as meats, fats, eggs, milk and fish were regarded as restricted during Lent. To keep such foods from being wasted many families would have big feasts on Shrove Tuesday in order to consume those items that would inevitably become spoiled during the next forty days. For many Christians, Shrove Tuesday holds no particular significance except for its strong reminder that the following day is Ash Wednesday, the first day of our Lenten journey of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving that leads to the celebration of Easter joy and resurrection.
Here are a few pictures taken on Shrove Tuesday:
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This is a picture of the parent and grandparent volunteers hard at work in the kitchen at École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys
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Staff and students dressed up in the carnival theme of Mardi Gras for Shrove Tuesday at École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys.
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Two Kindergarten students enjoying their Shrove Tuesday pancakes at École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys.
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Here Knights of Columbus member Sid Neil cooks up another batch of pancakes for the students at Pope John Paul II School. Look how perfectly round those pancakes are! Great job Sid.
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The Knights of Columbus Team have been cooking pancakes for Shrove Tuesday at Pope John Paul II School for the past 8 years.
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A group of students at Pope John Paul II school enjoy the pancakes together in the Kindergarten classroom.
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