As we approach Easter, you may hear references to special days called Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday or practices like fasting and almsgiving. If you don’t belong to certain branches of Christianity (mainly Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran), you may feel quite ignorant of these (I include myself among the ignorant). So, what are they and where do these interesting names come from?
Lent
The word comes from the old English word “lencten” meaning springtime. Digging deeper, we find it originates from the German word for lengthening, which refers to the longer days of spring. So, Lent was the name chosen to describe a six-week (approximately 40-day) period of fasting, prayer and almsgiving (old word for giving to the poor) leading up to Easter Sunday every spring.
This time period corresponds to the 40 days that Jesus was tested and tempted by Satan in the wilderness (see Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus fasted during this time. Appropriately, this passage is often read (and meditated upon) during Lent. This event in Jesus’ life happened right after his baptism and right before the beginning of his public ministry. Lent leads up to Easter which marks the death and resurrection of Jesus at the end of his earthly ministry. So, you could say Lent symbolizes the three-year ministry of Jesus on earth.
Interestingly, this year Lent overlaps with the Muslim fast called “Ramadan” which runs from Feb. 28 to March 30 (about one month). Lent runs from March 5 to April 20 (over one month). Whereas Lent is always in the spring leading up to Passover (Easter), the Ramadan dates move up 11 days each year. So, the common ground is that both Christians and Muslims are fasting at about the same time this year but their motivation and theology are very different.
Associated with Lent is the idea of giving up something which requires a measure of sacrifice or self-control. This could be a favourite food (e.g. coffee, ice cream) or habit (e.g. TV, video games). This is symbolic of the vastly greater sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. The Lent tradition became common among Christians as early as the 4th century AD.
Shrove Tuesday
“Shrove” comes from the word “shrive” meaning absolution or forgiveness of one’s sins. After sincerely confessing your sins, you are “shriven” or absolved (forgiven) by God. This usually takes place during a special church service on this day. The idea is to begin the season of Lent with a clean, forgiven heart. Lent begins the next day on “Ash Wednesday”.
This day is also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day. Why? Because people often eat pancakes (originally considered a delicacy) and other sweets on this day. Why? Because they may be giving up these foods during the next 40 days of Lent. All this is linked to the festival in New Orleans called Mardi Gras, meaning Fat Tuesday in French.
People feel they should indulge in these fatty, calorie-rich delicacies on this day before they begin the Lenten period of sacrifice and fasting. This festival is also associated with lewd and immoral behaviour which makes the need for confession even more necessary!
Ash Wednesday
This day marks the first day of Lent and is a holy day of prayer and fasting. People often attend a special mass or service on this day as well. During the service, the priest or pastor uses ashes to make the mark of a cross on the worshipper’s forehead. This is a symbol of repentance, humility and a reminder that the first human was made from ashes and that our bodies will someday return to the same.
During the next 40 days of Lent, worshippers (young and old) are encouraged to do good deeds and be willing to unselfishly make sacrifices for the benefit of others. As you may expect, some take these symbols and customs very sincerely and seriously. Others, however, go through the motions without much thought to their true, spiritual meaning.
Forty days later, it all leads up to the holy week of Easter with its special days of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and, of course, the climax – Easter Sunday. We’ll leave those for later. At least for now, you have a basic understanding of the Anglo-Catholic practices of Lent… through the eyes of a Baptist!
Rob Weatherby is a retired pastor.