What is Shrove Tuesday?
Here's the answer:
Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It was originally known as a time of repentance and confession before Ash Wednesday and Lent.
Although Shrove Tuesday once started as a day to prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lent, it has changed in many ways. Shrove Tuesday was first recorded around 1000 A.D.; however, in modern day, it is normally only celebrated by Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. If you don’t go to one of these churches, you might have never heard of Shrove Tuesday before. It can be harder to understand it since it is not spoken of in the Bible either.
The word “shrove” is the past tense of “shrive.” “Shrive” means, “to go to confession and get absolved of sin.” This is why in past centuries, Christians celebrated Shrove Tuesday as a day to confess their sins and to practice penitence. In the modern day, people use Shrove Tuesday as a day to feast in preparation for the fasting that occurs during Lent. Many people restrict various foods or drinks during Lent, such as sugar, caffeine, or certain breads. During Shrove Tuesday, they consume these foods because they know it will be a long time before they consume them again.
Since the Bible says nothing about Shrove Tuesday, there is nothing wrong with not celebrating it. If you do want to celebrate it, that’s great, too. You should decide in your heart what you want to do and talk matters over with the Lord. The Lord doesn’t say we have to fast in preparation for Lent, nor does He say we have to give up anything for Lent. Rather than fasting from certain foods, it would be more beneficial to return to the roots of the holiday and prepare by going to the Lord with a heart of repentance and confession.
Bible Truth
"But God is faithful and fair. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure" (1 John 1:9).
"Anyone who hides their sins doesn’t succeed. But anyone who admits their sins and gives them up finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
"One person considers one day to be more holy than another. Another person thinks all days are the same. Each of them should be absolutely sure in their own mind. Whoever thinks that one day is special does so to honor the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to honor the Lord. They give thanks to God. And whoever doesn’t eat meat does so to honor the Lord. They also give thanks to God" (Romans 14:5–6).
