Today is Pancake Tuesday.
Although you may find more people will be eating pancakes today, many don’t know where the name comes from, or what the day stands for.
Neil McCarthy is with the Arch Diocese of Toronto.
He says it gets its name from the ritual of shriving, which was a time that the faithful would confess their sins to the local priest before Lent, which involves fasting.
McCarthy says that means people wouldn’t eat certain foods that you would normally have day to day, such as eggs and milk.
He says you take those everyday ingredients and just add some flour, and you have pancakes, which is an easy way to get rid of all the food you can’t eat.
McCarthy says its also known as Mardi-Gras, which means fat Tuesday, where people eat all sots of wonderful things before moving into the more reflectful season Lent.
He says there is more reflection of prayer fasting and charitable works after Mardi-Gras.