Editing Mardi Gras (section)

==Background==
During the [[Liturgical year|liturgical season]] of Lent, some Christians [[Lenten sacrifice|abstain from the consumption]] of certain foods such as meat, eggs, dairy products, and alcoholic beverages. Most Christian denominations observe the tradition of Lent; exceptions include many churches within the [[Anabaptism|Anabaptist]], [[Baptists|Baptist]], [[Methodism|Methodist]], and [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed]] traditions.<ref name=OPC>{{cite web|author=<!--not stated-->|title=Question & Answer: Should we Observe Lent?|publisher=The Orthodox Presbyterian Church|location=Willow Grove, Pennsylvania|year=2024|url=https://www.opc.org/qa.html?question_id=365|quote=Those inheriting a Reformed theology (which would include the OPC) have adopted the stance that the church is only to practice in worship what the Bible actually establishes, often called the 'regulative principle of worship.' Many in the Reformed tradition would exclude the practice of Lent on this basis—it lacks scriptural warrant.|access-date=3 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=Benedict2014>{{cite book|last=Benedict|first=Philip|title=Christ's Churches Purely Reformed: A Social History of Calvinism|pages=118, 496|publisher=Yale University Press|location=New Haven|year=2002|isbn=0-300-08812-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JKj_x3W01hoC&q=lent}}</ref><ref name=Mennonite>{{Cite book|author=<!--not stated-->|title=Mennonite Stew – A Glossary: Lent|publisher=Third Way Media|url=https://thirdwaycafe.com/glossary/lent/#:~:text=The%20choice%20to%20fast%20or,await%20the%20promise%20of%20Easter.|quote=Traditionally, Mennonites did not observe Lent, and only recently have more modern Mennonite churches started to focus on the six week season preceding Easter.|access-date=3 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=FTU2012>{{cite news|last=Brumley|first=Jeff|title=Lent not just for Catholics, but also for many denominations, Baptists and other evangelicals|newspaper=[[The Florida Times-Union]]|location=Jacksonville, Florida|date=12 March 2012|url=http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-03-12/story/lent-not-just-catholics-also-some-baptists-and-other-evangelicals|access-date=3 November 2024}}</ref><ref name=Moore2008>{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Scott|editor-last1=Ward|editor-first1=Roger|editor-last2=Gushee|editor-first2=David|title=The Scholarly Vocation and the Baptist Academy: Essays on the Future of Baptist Higher Education|chapter=The Predicament and the Promise for Young Baptist Scholars|page=143|publisher=Mercer University Press|location=Macon, Georgia|year=2008|url=978-0881461046|quote=In most Baptist churches, Lent is non-existent, and Advent is merely the 'pre-Christmas' wind-up.}}</ref> [[Shrovetide]] provided Christians with the opportunity to use up these foods prior to the start of the 40-day fasting season of Lent.<ref name="Campbell2005">{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Georgina |title=The Best of Irish Breads and Baking: Traditional, Contemporary and Festive |date=May 2005 |publisher=Georgina Campbell Guides |isbn=978-1-903164-15-0 |page=106|quote=Until relatively recently, the Lenten fast was taken so seriously in Ireland that it meant abstaining not only from meat but also eggs and all milk products. The tradition of making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) came about as a practical way of using up the surplus eggs, milk and butter which would otherwise go to waste. Most Irish families still make pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and the tradition of tossing pancakes not only survives but actually thrives, providing voter-friendly photo opportunities for politicians and commercial opportunities for the catering trade. }}</ref><ref name="Butler">{{cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Alban |title=The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church |date=1839 |publisher=James Duffy|location=Dublin|pages=144–146|quote=The primitive Christians in Lent broke their fast only after sunset, and then usually only with herbs, roots, and bread. At least all were obliged to abstain not only from flesh meat, but also from fish, and whatever had life; also whatever is derived from flesh, as eggs, milk, cheese, butter, according to the ancient canon. Likewise from wine, which in the primitive ages was no less forbidden on all fasting days than the use of flesh meat itself ... Some mitigations were introduced in part of abstinence in the sixth century ... Fish was in the same age allowed, but not of the dearer and more dainty kinds.}}</ref><ref name="Butler1774">{{cite book |last1=Butler |first1=Alban |title=The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church |date=1774 |publisher=C. Kiernan |page=257|quote=It is undoubted, that anciently to drink on fasting days was no less forbid than to eat, only in the refection after sunset.}}</ref> 

Prior to the 6th century, Lent was normatively observed through the practice of the [[Black Fast]], which enjoins fasting from food and liquids, with the allowance of one [[Christian vegetarianism|vegetarian]] meal and water after sunset.<ref name="Butler"/><ref name="Butler1774"/> The tradition of [[pancake breakfast]]s during Shrovetide, as well as that of pancake races, owes itself to this practice of "using up the surplus eggs, milk and butter" prior to Lent.<ref name="Campbell2005"/><ref name="CollinsMartin2005">{{cite book|last1=Collins|first1=Tony|last2=Martin|first2=John|last3=Vamplew|first3=Wray|title=Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports|year=2005|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0415352246|page=202|quote=The association between pancakes and Shrove Tuesday appears to have its origins in the fact that the pancakes used up food such as butter, eggs and fat that were prohibited during Lent, which begins the following day on Ash Wednesday. ... Pancakes have been eaten on Shrove Tuesday since at least the sixteenth century. In some parishes, it was the custom for the church bell to ring at noon as the signal for people to begin frying their pancakes. }}</ref> 

The specific tradition of eating pancakes is said to have roots in [[Slavs|Slavic]] [[paganism]], with this practice being co-opted into Christian ritual.<ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/amazing-history-of-pancake-celebrations/7/ | title=The strange and amazing history of pancake celebrations | publisher=CBS News | last=Gornstein |first=Leslie |date=March 3, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.visitheritage.co.uk/inspiration/visit-heritage-blog/read/2023/02/why-do-we-eat-pancakes-on-shrove-tuesday-b302 | title=Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? | website=visitheritage.co.uk | date=February 20, 2023 | author= }}</ref> Specifically the pancake was said to symbolise the returning of the sun as spring approached.<ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-pagan-roots-of-pancake-day | title=The pagan roots of Pancake Day and Shrove Tuesday | website=History.co.uk | author= | date= }}</ref><ref>{{ cite web | url=https://www.discoverbritain.com/history/traditions/shrove-tuesday-all-you-need-to-know/ | title=Shrove Tuesday: A traditional pancake recipe | date=February 21, 2023 | first=Flora | last=Hughes-Onslow | website=discoverbritain.com }}</ref>

In many Christian parish churches, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, a popular Shrove Tuesday tradition is the ringing of the [[church bell]]s (on this day, the toll is known as the Shriving Bell) "to call the faithful to confession before the solemn season of Lent" and for people to "begin frying their pancakes".<ref>{{cite web |title=What Is the Meaning and History of Shrove Tuesday? |url=https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-shrove-tuesday-meaning-and-holiday-date.html |publisher=[[Christianity.com]] |access-date=7 April 2024|date=13 February 2024 |quote=In many Protestant and Roman Catholic Christian churches, a popular Shrove Tuesday ritual is the ringing of the church bells (on this day, known as the Shriving Bell) "to call the faithful to confession before the solemn season of Lent" and for people to "begin frying their pancakes."}}</ref><ref name="Cocks1897">{{cite book|last=Cocks|first=Alfred Heneage|title=The church bells of Buckinghamshire: their inscriptions, founders, and uses, and traditions; &c|year=1897|publisher=Jarrold & sons|page=276}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Pulleyn |first=William |title=The Etymological Compendium, Or Portfolio of Origins and Inventions |year=1828|publisher=[[Richard Griffin and Company]]|page=192}}</ref> As such, a hallmark of Shrovetide is the opportunity for a last round of merrymaking associated with Mardis Gras before the start of the somber Lenten season.<ref name="ELCD2021">{{cite web |title=Shrovetide|url=https://www.lutheranchurch.dk/liturgy-and-worship/festivals-and-traditions/shrovetide|publisher=[[Church of Denmark]]|access-date=8 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="Beadle1994">{{cite book|last=Beadle|first=Richard|title=The Cambridge Companion to Medieval English Theatre|date=17 March 1994|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521459167|page=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgecompani00rich_1/page/69 69]|quote=One of these was the pre-Lent Carnival extravaganza of Shrovetide, though this seems to have been celebrated to a much lesser extent in Britain than it was (and still is) on the continent: however, we know of English Shrovetide plays, and ''Mankind'' bears signs of being one of them (''335'').|url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgecompani00rich_1/page/69}}</ref><ref name="Rose1995">{{cite book |last1=Rose |first1=David |title=Christianity |date=1995 |publisher=Folens Limited |isbn=978-1-85276-765-5 |page=9|quote=Shrove Tuesday was the day when all the luxury foods were eaten up. These included meat, eggs, milk and fine flour. People also went to church and confessed their sins. Today, many Christians give up 'something' for Lent, while others occupy their time with charitable works. In other parts of the world the day is called Fat Tuesday (or 'Mardi Gras') because people felt bloated having eaten up all the rich foods before Lent. Mardi Gras celebrations are often very elaborate, involving costumes and parties.}}</ref> The last day of Shrovetide, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), is named as such "because people felt bloated having eaten up all the rich foods before Lent" in order to prepare for the coming season of repentance.<ref name="Rose1995"/>