Have you been shriven yet . . . ?

I knew Our Eldest wouldn't let me down on providing a great photo for the blog today!

I don't know how he managed to fold this creation before attacking it but he did.

And yes, that is banana . . . and cream . . . and ice cream . . . and chocolate sauce! Oo-er, I don't feel very well . . .

I'm more of a 'pancake purist' myself - just a little sugar and lemon juice on my pancake this evening.

Fortunately we did have an opportunity to be 'shriven' recently too as we have Confessions after Mass on the first Sunday of every month so the timing was excellent this year.

Now that's what I call a pancake!

I couldn't resist posting a photo of Number One Son's pancake this evening. You name it . . . it's in there - banana, cream, ice-cream and chocolate sauce! Believe it or not he managed to put away another similar one straight afterwards. I think he takes the 'Gras' bit of Mardi Gras a bit too literally! :-)

Have you been shriven yet?

Have you been shriven yet? Ever since I first learned about the origins of the term 'Shrove Tuesday' I have difficulty in not smiling when I think about it. It's not that there's anything particularly amusing about the meaning of the word, to have your sins forgiven; it's just the word itself. It always makes me think of that film, 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' I can just hear, 'Honey, I've shriven the kids'. It sounds as if it has something to do with shrinking.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. In common with many parishes, we usually have a penitential service in Lent to encourage as many people as possible to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession and it is usually well attended too. Most years this happens towards the end of Lent so that we are ready for the Great Feast of Easter. (Less time for backsliders like me to get into serious trouble again!)

Thinking again of the origins of Shrove Tuesday, I wonder whether people were expected to go to Confession again before Easter (6 weeks is a long time to avoid sin!) or whether they were just inspired to try extra hard during Lent having started with 'a clean slate' so to speak after being shriven before Ash Wednesday.

Or maybe, it was placed at this time because of the excesses of Mardi Gras!

Of course in this country, we don't have the tradition of Carnival or Mardi Gras in the same way as they have in some parts of Europe or Rio. Shrove Tuesday in the UK is very tame in comparison - after all what is wildly excessive about eating a few pancakes!!

Mind you, after a few pancakes and finishing off all the chocolates before Ash Wednesday I can see why it's called Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)!

It's Pancake Day ...

Yaaaaaay, it's Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday to give it it's proper name. I'm having mine early today as we're out this evening but I'm sure they'll be just as yummy. I hope you enjoy this clever video showing you how to cook pancakes. I'm not sure about the method of eating them at the end though!

I've also really enjoyed eating up all the chocolate I could find in the house in anticipation of the beginning of Lent tomorrow. I hope I haven't overdone it and feel queasy on the bus this evening.