St. John’s observes Shrove Tuesday on February 23rd with a pancake supper.

Shrove comes from the word shrive, as the day before Ash Wednesday was a day that Christians were shriven, or absolved of their sins before the liturgical season of Lent. Lent is a time of penitence and fasting before Easter (that’s why many people—maybe even you—give up chocolate or alcohol). Pancakes were a way to use up all the delicious fatty foods like butter, eggs, and milk that Christians were traditionally discouraged from eating during Lent. It's also sometimes called Fat Tuesday for this reason (Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday). Other cultures eat various pastries and other rich foods.

Pancakes are also said to represent the four pillars of faith: eggs for creation, flour for sustenance, salt for wholesomeness, and milk for purity.