Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and Catholics all over the world are reminded again (marked by the sign of the cross on the forehead) that "it's from ash that we came from and unto ash we shall return". Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day Lent before the culmination of the tripartite Easter celebration. Lent is a time of giving up certain "sins" and "turn over a new leaf" so to speak e.g refraining from your favourite ice cream, not eating your favourite slice of chocolate cake for the next 40 days, swearing, smoking, etc. Whatever you choose to give up, counts. So, what have I chosen? Maybe worries? But even if I am giving up more, today's reading said "your left hand must not know what your right is doing". So when I fast, I am not supposed to talk about it...what more to blog it?!!

But yesterday was a lot more different. It was Shrove Tuesday, something unheard of in Malaysia. The word shrove is a past tense of the English verb "shrive," which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by confessing and doing penance.

It is also called as the Pancake Day. The reason that pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent is that the 40 days of Lent form a period of liturgical fasting, during which only the plainest foodstuffs may be eaten. Therefore, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, sugar and flour are disposed of immediately prior to the commencement of the fast. Pancakes and doughnuts were therefore an efficient way of using up these perishable goods, besides providing a minor celebratory feast prior to the fast itself.

I had a raspberry pancake cooked by my block mates, Ian and Mei Ling. I also had it with honey and a dash of lime. It was heavenly!

Learnt something new today!