What Is Shrove Tuesday? Video | Oxford Dictionaries Explains The Meaning

Today (February 9th) is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, as it is now more commonly known. But what exactly is Shrove Tuesday, and what has it got to do with pancakes?

I don’t know, but Oxford Dictionaries does, and they helpfully made this short video explaining it all.

Shrove Tuesday has its origins in Christianity, and takes place just prior to the beginning of Lent.

The meaning of the word “Shrove” is too long and involved to go into here, but suffice to say it involves priests, prisoners, and confessing sins.

As for pancakes, well, people made them in order to use up any remaining fat before fasting for Lent. And Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, has the same origin.