Christians were expected to make a confession of their sins in the week before Lent. The old word “shrive” meaning “hear confessions” gave us the name “Shrove Tuesday” for the day before Lent. Fasting during Lent does not mean going without food but abstaining from certain items, e.g. meat and fats. Shrove Tuesday was the day when pantries were emptied of butter, eggs and other provisions. Pancakes were cooked to use up the eggs and butter and this has led to our tradition.
Lent begins at midnight on Shrove Tuesday. The first day of Lent is known as “Ash Wednesday”. On this day the Bishop would bless the hair shirts which penitents were to wear during Lent. He would also sprinkle the shirts with ashes made from the palms of the previous Easter. The penitents were not allowed to enter a church again until the Thursday before Easter.
In later times, the whole congregation would receive ashes and this is now symbolised by a mark of ashes on the forehead.
Lent lasts for 40 days because the Old Testament prophets purified themselves by fasting for 40days and Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert.
The sufferings of Jesus at the crucifixion are called the Passions of Jesus Christ and the period from the 1st Sunday of Lent until Palm Sunday is known as Passiontide. This is followed by Holy Week, where each day recalls an event from Jesus’ stay in Jerusalem.
Holy Week began to develop as a time of remembrance while the Apostles of Jesus were still living. By the end of the 4th century A.D., special services were being held in Jerusalem and possibly elsewhere. At this time, the Saturday before Palm Sunday was called “Lazarus Saturday” in commemoration of the raising of Lazarus, but this custom has now died out.
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