Shrove Tuesday and Lent

What is Lent? The forty days (not counting Sundays) before Easter is known as Lent. This is the time of year in England when the days begin to get longer with the coming of Spring. When does Lent begin? Lent begins the day after Pancake Day. The last week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday, which celebrates the day Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people lay down palms at his feet.

There are many special days in Lent leading up to Easter, the most important of all Christian festivals. Lent is the time when Christians prepare for Easter by thinking of things they can give up to be a better person.

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. This day is one of the moveable feasts in the church calendar and is related to the date on which Easter falls. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. This year Pancake Day is on Tuesday!

Why is Lent 40 days? The 40 days mark the traditional 40 days of Jesus fasting in the desert. What happens during Lent? During Lent Christians used to fast (give up food) but nowadays people try to give up something like chocolate. Lent is a time when Christians remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert without food.

Giving up foods: but not wasting them In the old days there were many foods that Christians would not eat during Lent: such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods. So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on Shrove Tuesday, and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off. Pancakes were made on Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up eggs, fats and milk in the house by just adding flour.

You Could Give up…… Putting off my homework and do it as soon as you get home each night. Being shy and greet my parents more affectionately after school each day. Staying in bed as late as possible and get up and make a cup of tea for mum or dad each day.

You Could Give up…… Getting so angry with people and write down how you feel instead in a diary each day. Moaning about others and deliberately practice complimenting people each day. Eating pop and chocolate and drink water and eat fruit every day.

MY LENT CHALLENGE Name:………………………………. Class:…………………. Dear Father God, Thank you for all you did for me the first ever Easter. Thank you for your forgiveness, friendship and fathers care. For my Lent challenge this year I am choosing to: ……………………………………………………………………