An army of parent volunteers armed with spatulas and industrial mixer set-ups were on hand Feb. 13 to prepare a pancake feast for Shrove Tuesday.

The students from Ecole Mother Teresa were fed the traditional pancake breakfast Feb. 13, while students at Ecole Our Lady of the Rosary School had their breakfast a little earlier.

Shrove Tuesday is always the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It is considered the last day of feasting before fasting during Lent.

While mostly known to be celebrated by Roman Catholics, other Christian faiths also celebrate Shrove Tuesday such as Anglicans, Lutherans and Methodists.

Mardi Gras is also celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, and is French for “Fat Tuesday” because with the start of Lent richer, fatty foods are cut out as a ritual fasting.

Principal Jodi Smith says the breakfast for Shrove Tuesday is something the students look forward to.

“They love it. Even our older students look forward to it,” Smith said.

The reason pancakes are eaten during Shrove Tuesday is because of the ingredients; eggs, flour and milk.

Once it was very common for those items to be given up for Lent, so pancakes were an easy way to indulge in what was to be given up for the next 45 days.

Though today, it is more common to see people give up foods like chocolate for Lent.

Grade 4 student Brooklynne Lundberg takes the offered pancakes, smothered in maple syrup, on Feb. 13. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

The amount of pancakes needed to feed the hungry middle school students needed industrial mixing. Glen Nielsen mixes the batter while Jodie Turner pours more mix in. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

Grade 4 students Allie Martens, Raelee McKenzie, Leah Bellanger and Lily Steuart enjoy plates on pancakes for Shrove Tuesday while sharing stories with friends. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News