Mardi très gras

So it's been Pancake Day today which comes from the concept of "Fat Tuesday" (Mardi Gras in French) or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday of course is the first day of Lent and a Western Christian holiday. By "Western" I mean as opposed to "Eastern" Christians such as the Egyptian, Ethiopian, Greek, Russian and Armenian, e.t.c., Orthodox churches.

On Tuesday, before Lent, one takes to opportunity to rid oneself of fatty foods like dairy products, meat, eggs, and so on, that are not consumed during the Lent fasting period. Rather than throw it all away (Meat, Fish, and Dairy, except cheese, couldn't survive the month in those days before refrigeration technology) one made pancakes to consume as much of that stuff as possible.

One also indulges other forms of hedonism, not just gluttony, such as music and merriments, which is where the concept of Carnival comes from. Sin like crazy on Tuesday, roll yourself in ash and beg for forgiveness on Wednesday. Something like that.

Of course nowadays most people could are less about any of the above. It's all about the pancakes and gyrating to Soca music.

Peace & Love,

Adé