Terminology
The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the custom for Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent.[2]. Shrove Tuesday is the last day of "shrovetide", somewhat analogous to the Carnival tradition that developed separately in countries of Latin Europe. The term "Shrove Tuesday" is no longer widely used in the United States or Canada outside Liturgical Traditions, such as the Lutheran, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic Churches.[3][4]
- In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, Shrove Tuesday is also commonly known as "Pancake Day" or "Pancake Tuesday" due to the tradition of eating pancakes on the day.
- Catholic and Protestant countries (outside those mentioned above) traditionally call the day before Ash Wednesday "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras". The name predated the Reformation and referred to the common Christian tradition of eating special rich foods before the fasting season of Lent.
- In Ireland the day is known as Máirt Inide (meaning, in Irish, "Shrovetide Tuesday"), and Pancake Tuesday.
- For German American populations, such as Pennsylvania Dutch Country, it is known as Fastnacht Day (also spelled Fasnacht, Fausnacht, Fauschnaut, or Fosnacht).
- In Portuguese-, Spanish- and Italian-speaking countries, amongst others, it is known as Carnival (to use the English-language spelling). This derives from the words carne levare (to take away meat) and thus to another aspect of the Lenten fast. It is often celebrated with street processions and/or fancy dress. The most famous of these events is the Brazilian Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, while the Venetians celebrate carnival with a masquerade. The use of the term 'carnival' in other contexts derives from here.
- On the Portuguese island of Madeira they eat Malasadas on Terça-feira Gorda (Fat Tuesday in English) which is also the last day of the Carnival of Madeira. The reason for making malasadas was to use up all the lard and sugar in the house, in preparation for Lent (much in the same way the tradition of Pancake Day in the UK originated on Shrove Tuesday). Malasadas are sold alongside the Carnival of Madeira. This tradition was taken to Hawaii, where Shrove Tuesday is known as Malasada Day, which dates back to the days of the sugar plantations of the 1800s, the resident Catholic Portuguese (mostly from Madeira and the Azores) workers used up butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of malasadas.
- In Denmark and Norway the day is known as Fastelavn and is marked by eating fastelavnsboller. Fastelavn is the name for Carnival in Denmark which is either the Sunday or Monday before Ash Wednesday. Fastelavn developed from the Roman Catholic tradition of celebrating in the days before Lent, but after Denmark became a Protestant nation, the holiday became less specifically religious. This holiday occurs seven weeks before Easter Sunday, with children dressing up in costumes and gathering treats for the Fastelavn feast. The holiday is generally considered to be a time for children's fun and family games. (see Carnival in Denmark)
- In Iceland the day is known as Sprengidagur (Bursting Day) and is marked by eating salted meat and peas.
- In Lithuania the day is called Užgavėnės. People eat pancakes (blynai) and Lithuanian-style doughnuts called spurgos.
- In Sweden the day is called Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday) and is generally celebrated by eating a type of pastry called semla.
- In Finland the day is called laskiainen and is generally celebrated by eating green pea soup and a pastry called laskiaispulla (sweet bread filled with whipped cream and jam or almond paste). The celebration often includes sledging.
- In Estonia the day is called Vastlapäev and is generally celebrated by eating pea soup and whipped-cream filled buns called vastlakukkel.
- In Poland this celebration falls on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and is called tłusty czwartek or Fat Thursday. In some areas of the United States with large Polish communities, such as Chicago, Buffalo, and the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck, Michigan, Pączki Day is celebrated with pączki-eating contests, music and other Polish food. It may be held on Shrove Tuesday or in the days immediately preceding it.[5]
Traditions
Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure: In many cultures, this means no meat, dairy, or eggs.
In Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand the day is also known as "Pancake Day" as it is a common custom to eat pancakes as a meal.[6][7][8] In the United Kingdom, Pancake Day is also an annual feature on the children's television show Blue Peter.
In Newfoundland small tokens are frequently cooked in the pancakes. Children take delight in discovering the objects, which are intended to be divinatory. For example, the person who receives a coin will be wealthy; a nail that they will become or marry a carpenter.[9]
Festivities
In England, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday "mob football" games, some dating as far back as the 12th century. The practice mostly died out in the 19th century after the passing of the Highway Act 1835 which banned playing football on public highways. A number of towns have maintained the tradition, including Alnwick in Northumberland, Ashbourne in Derbyshire (called the Royal Shrovetide Football Match), Atherstone (called the Ball Game) in Warwickshire, Sedgefield (called the Ball Game) in County Durham, and St Columb Major (called Hurling the Silver Ball) in Cornwall.
Shrove Tuesday was once known as a "half-holiday" in England. It started at 11:00am with the ringing of a church bell.[10] On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake.[11] The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan whilst running.
A pancake race
The most famous pancake race,[12] at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to over a 415 yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants have to toss their pancake at both the start and the finish, as well as wear an apron and a scarf. Traditionally, when men want to participate, they must dress!!!
Spent the morning doing paperwork and some homework and then the gate guy came almost on time around 11am…he had the right parts and it took him a little while to get it working but all is done.
I then went to pick up Sara and we went to take Paola to her school as we wanted to ask permission to take her with us on Sunday to the beach. Her Mum gave us permission to take her but because she was a little behind in her school work she wanted us to get the permission from her school.
We saw a man at the gate entrance and with Sara’s great Spanish we understand that we need to get Paola's Mum to go to the school and get her books and homework for the week and we think then it will be a go BUT I am not getting excited yet just in case!!!
I did some chores in town it is amazing how busy my life is always something to do or fetch or work on but I like it this way.
After supper of..you guessed it PANCAKES.. settled down to watch a hockey game and make some telephone calls.
Hope you all had a wonderful day!!!
Interesting tennis comments from a superstar!!
SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Rafael Nadal criticized the ATP on Tuesday for not doing enough to protect players' health, saying the increase in hardcourt events will lead to long-term injuries that will affect players long after they retire.
"The ATP worries too little about the players," said Nadal, who was in Brazil to play his second tournament after a long layoff from a left-knee injury. "It should care more for them."
The 11-time Grand Slam winner said he doesn't expect major changes anytime soon, but thinks it's time tennis officials start thinking about ways to help improve the players' long-term health.
"For future generations it would be good to see a less aggressive tennis life," he said. "Not only because of what happens during your career, but also because of what happens after your career, about how is your body when your tennis career is over."
Nadal said that because of the way tennis was played, he doesn't see himself being able to be a recreational athlete after his professional career.
"After ending the career it would be nice to be able to play football with friends, or tennis," he said. "But with this surface I don't think it's going to be possible."
The 26-year-old Nadal said hardcourts were "too tough" on players' bodies and made it impossible to keep them from getting hurt from time to time. Tennis is the only major sport where players have to play on cement, said the greatest clay-court player of the Open era, adding that it's an issue that doctors must get involved with, not only players.
"This is not a subject for the players, it's a matter for doctors," he said. "The ATP has to start thinking about ways to lengthen the players' careers. I can't imagine football players playing on cement, I can't imagine any other sport involving aggressive movements such as tennis being played on such aggressive surfaces such as ours. We are the only sport in the world making this mistake and it won't change."
Nadal also complained of the ATP's attempt to strictly enforce the 25-second rule between serves, saying it will not benefit the sport.
"People like to see great rallies, long matches, and for that to happen, the 25 seconds are not enough," he said. "If the ATP wants a sport which is faster but doesn't take into consideration a lot of strategy or great rallies, then it's right doing this. I think the players in the locker rooms are not very happy with that rule."
Nadal, who lost in the final of his first comeback tournament in Chile last week, said he was still not worried about wins and his main focus was to regain rhythm on the court.
"I need time, I need weeks of matches and practice," he said. "I'm not prepared to think about titles yet, I'm thinking day-to-day. After so many months without playing it's hard to think about titles."
Nadal said he is still feeling pain in his knee but it's getting better.
"There are days in which it hurts and it limits me physically, but there are days when it's better," he said. "During the bad days it's complicated. But it's positive because a month ago maybe 80 per cent of the days were bad, now it's 70 per cent of the days and next week or within a month it will probably be 50 per cent."
Nadal dismissed changing his style to try to extend his career.
"I'm not that good to be able to reprogram my style, I only have one, it's virtually impossible to change it," he said. "I'm confident that my body will hold up. I'm not sure it will happen next week, or next year, but I'm confident that it will be like before again."
He said he wants to be fully fit to play at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which he acknowledged will likely be his last.
"Playing in 2016 is a long-term goal but it's very real," he said. "I will be working daily to make sure I can play in 2016 and play well."
Yashi koshi!!
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