Gatlinburg, TN (March 3) – Everyone is invited to attend the celebration of Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat
Tuesday and Pancake Day, with a pancake supper to benefit Trinity.
This year, Shrove Tuesday is on March 8th and in celebration, Trinity Episcopal Church in Gatlinburg is having
a Pancake Dinner from 6:00-9:00 pm in the Parish Hall. The menu includes pancakes or French toast with an
assortment of toppings such as strawberries, blueberries and chocolate chips, bacon or sausage, fruit bowl, and
coffee or juice.
In the Christian calendar, Shrovetide is the last week of the season of Epiphany. Shrove Tuesday is the last
day of Shrovetide and the day before AshWednesday, the first day of Lent. It gets its name from the ritual of
shriving, when the faithful confessed their sins and received forgiveness before the Lenten season began.
Shrovetide is the English equivalent of Carnival. In cultures that celebrate Carnival, Shrove Tuesday is known
as Mardi Gras, which literally means “Fat Tuesday” in French. Carnival comes from the Latin words carne vale,
meaning “farewell to the flesh.”
It is in this spirit that on Shrove Tuesday, Christians emptied their pantries of foods of the flesh and from the
flesh, such as meats, eggs, milk and butter, in preparation for the 40-day Lenten fasting and abstinence period.
What did they do with the eggs, milk and butter? Mix them with flour and make pancakes, of course! That is
how Shrove Tuesday became Pancake Tuesday, or Pancake Day.
The cost is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. The parish hall will be decorated for Mardi Gras and Mardi
Gras attire is welcomed. For information, contact Trinity Episcopal Church, 509 Historic Nature Trail in
Gatlinburg, TN, by calling 865-436-4721.
