Shrove Tuesday

[ shrohv tooz-dey, -dee, tyooz- ]

noun

1. the last day of Shrovetide, once observed as a time of confession and absolution, later as a season of merrymaking before Lent. Fat Tuesday ( def ), Mardi Gras ( def 1 ).

Shrove Tuesday

noun

1. the last day of Shrovetide; Pancake Day

Word History and Origins

Origin of Shrove Tuesday¹

First recorded in 1490–1500

Example Sentences

It was on Shrove-Tuesday, after dark, that their attention was roused by a strange, crackling noise.

From Project Gutenberg

Our custom of eating pancakes on Shrove-Tuesday, was probably borrowed from the Greek church.

From Project Gutenberg

Which, accordingly providing, prepared his company for that journey, entering it upon Shrove-Tuesday (3rd February).

From Project Gutenberg

Shrove-Tuesday, all cased in in hams, was astride of a roe whose many-branched antlers were loaded with partridges.

From Project Gutenberg

Shrove-Tuesday he fears as much as the bauds, and Lent is more damage to him than the butcher.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Shrove Tuesday

What is Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday in some Christian traditions.

It is the last day of Shrovetide, the three-day period before the beginning of Lent, which is the season of fasting and penitence that precedes Easter. Shrovetide also includes Shrove Sunday and Shrove Monday.

Shrove Tuesday is sometimes called Pancake Day due to the tradition of eating pancakes on that day.

The day before Ash Wednesday can also be called Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday).

When is Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday happens 47 days before Easter Sunday. (Lent is often considered a period of 40 days, but it actually consists of 40 weekdays.) Since Easter Sunday moves every year, Shrove Tuesday can fall between February 3 and March 9.

Shrove Tuesday 2024 falls on February 13. In 2025, Shrove Tuesday will fall on March 4.

More information and context on Shrove Tuesday

The first records of the term Shrove Tuesday come from the 1490s. Shrove is the past tense of the verb shrive, which means “confess one’s sins, such as to a priest” (it can also mean “to hear confession”).

Shrovetide was once a time that many Christians devoted to confessing their sins before the beginning of Lent. But Lent itself is a time of fasting and abstaining, and Shrovetide and Shrove Tuesday eventually became, for many, a time of indulging before the Lenten fast begins.

Traditionally, fasting for Lent has involved giving up foods like eggs and fats (such as butter). Shrove Tuesday is the last day to use up such foods so they don’t go to waste during Lent, and pancakes are one of the easiest (and most delicious) ways to use these ingredients. That’s why Shrove Tuesday is often called Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday. 

Shrove Tuesday is commonly used as the name for the day in the U.K. and some other places, but the name Mardi Gras is more common in France and the U.S.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing Shrove Tuesday?

• Pancake Day
• Mardi Gras
• Ash Wednesday
• Lent
• Shrovetide
• Easter
• fast

How is Shrove Tuesday discussed in real life?

The name Shrove Tuesday is most commonly used in the U.K. The day is associated with the tradition of eating pancakes and indulging before Lent.

It’s bright outside in a way that makes Spring feel near, our garden is full of birds & Shrove Tuesday is a mere 15 days away. Welcome to February.

— Sara (@callmesara) February 1, 2021

Seeing the new seasonal items on NH, and I'm mildly disappointed there's not a plate of pancakes for Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday.

— 🌹 Natalie 🌹 (@finlands_beret) January 28, 2021

Shrove Tuesday means one thing in Derbyshire: it’s Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football! 🎉 Here’s EVERYTHING you need to know about this fascinating game which divides the town and has been played for centuries: https://t.co/zYTvuVw79Z ⚽️ #ShrovetideFootball #PancakeDay pic.twitter.com/Q04WeKKcLN

— Visit Peak District & Derbyshire (@vpdd) March 5, 2019

 

Try using Shrove Tuesday!

True or False?

Shrove Tuesday always falls on the same date.