By BONNIE BARTEL LATINO
Special to Atmore News
The Men of Trinity Episcopal Church invite the community to their annual community-wide Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
In addition to hot pancakes with syrup, sausage, and coffee, juice will be served. The cost at the door will be $3 and half-price for children under the age of 12.
The word shrove is derived from the word confess. The idea of cleansing one’s soul prior to the beginning of Lent dates back at least a thousand years. The Anglo-Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes contain the following translation from Theodulphus by the monk, Abbot Aelfric: “In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him.”
For some Christians, Shrove Tuesday marks the last chance to indulge in fattening foods from which many choose to abstain during Lent. During the Middle Ages on the last day before Lent began, in the homes where families planned to fast during the 40 days before Easter, housewives emptied their kitchen pantries of all eggs, flour and butter, etc. So that these staples were not wasted, the women made pancakes – the ideal way to rid their homes from the “fat” in their cupboards before the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday.
Also in olden days, the first three pancakes to be cooked in every household were considered sacred. Each was marked with a cross, sprinkled with salt, and set aside to protect against evil spirits. To avoid mixing superstition with religion, Episcopalians prefer to cook – and eat – the first three, or perhaps five or six, pancakes just to make certain they are up to standard before guests arrive.
So, come one and come all! Join the Men of Trinity (and their helpers) in the parish hall on Tuesday evening February 28.
Founded in 1900, historic Trinity Episcopal Church is located on the corner of S. Carney and Church Streets, directly behind Bondurant Hardware. The parish hall is adjacent to the church. See you there – and bring a friend.