Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent, which is a time when people traditionally fasted and avoided food containing eggs and dairy products. Families would have a feast on Shrove Tuesday. It was a time for them to eat food that contained these ingredients so that meals would not be wasted.
Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday because they were a dish that could use up perishable foodstuffs such as eggs, fats and milk. Pancake races are thought to have begun in 1445.
Many Christians in Australia observe Ash Wednesday as the first day of Lent. It is the beginning of the Lenten fast and is the day after Shrove Tuesday.
Some churches in Australia hold special Ash Wednesday services in the evenings or during the day. It is a time when people who seek penitence for their wrongdoings are marked with the sign of the cross, from blessed ashes, on their forehead. This symbolic occasion reminds people of their mortality and sorrow for sins, as well as the will for change and the hope of forgiveness.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten discipline for many Christian churches. It is traditionally a time of fasting and prayer.
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