CAYUGA—Cayuga Secondary School held a pancake supper Tuesday, February 13, 2024 in the school’s cafeteria. Students prepared pancakes, sausage, juice, and cupcakes for those who attended. Student Council Teacher Advisor Jonathan Mann shared, “The pancake supper is an annual fundraiser that supports two efforts: some students use their personal ticket sales for our upcoming Europe trip to Switzerland and Italy on March Break. Others are directing funds towards the Global Student Leadership Conference that is occurring in April at Blue Mountain – a three-day leadership retreat involving 600 students from around the province. Those who help out also get a portion of the walkup sales, after costs are covered. The event is also a great chance for students to extend their leadership skills in organizing the logistics of the event and customer/client service and sales skills.” Above, Aliyah Elfner, Madison Brookes, Maddy Los, and Alexis Reid get ready for the rush to serve pancakes. 
HAGERSVILLE—Debbie Kozicki, Don Brooks, Bruce Campbell, and Peter Kozicki enjoy the all-you-can-eat pancake supper hosted by Hagersville United Church. —Haldimand Press photos by Tara Lindemann. 
CAYUGA—Adora Capinding, Ash McCarrell, Andrew Yager, Jay Holland, and Paige Ziegler at the refreshment and dessert station at the CSS Pancake Supper. —Haldimand Press photos by Rachel Vaarkamp. 
HAGERSVILLE— Cheryl Sayer (right) takes a moment from her volunteering duties at the Hagersville United Pancake Supper on February 13 to visit with Lindsay Sayer and 5 ½-year-old Myles Mattioli, who gave the thumbs up on his pancakes. 
CALEDONIA – Gail Bell the “Kitchen Queen” checks on pancake quality. 
CALEDONIA — On February 13, St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Caledonia opened their doors to offer pancakes, sausage, and various toppings for a minimal price. “We have been serving pancakes to the community for 40 years,” boasts church member and volunteer Gail Bell of the annual Shrove Tuesday event. Kathy Brunton, Janice McKenndy, Neil Bell serve up pancakes with a smile. —Haldimand Press photos by Randy Carter. 
HAGERSVILLE – At the Hagersville Pancake Meal – several Jarvis Lions were in attendance, including Don and Yvonne Hinan. 
HAGERSVILLE – Wendy Alderson (left) and Dale Vecero take a moment to chat during Hagersville United Church’s Pancake Supper (Haldimand Press photo by Tara Lindemann) 
CALEDONIA – Ken Garland and Randy Peirson keep busy on the griddle at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Caledonia (Haldimand Press photo by Randy Carter) 
HAGERSVILLE – Jo-Ann Duns and Bob Held briefly pause for a photo in the efficient pancake-to-table flurry. 
CALEDONIA—Greeting the guests at the door is Jessica Robitaille (Woman’s Club President) and her son Spencer Hobden. Jessica was expecting 100 guests this year, up from last year.
HALDIMAND—If The Haldimand Press community calendar listings in It’s A Date for February 13, 2024 were any indication, the Haldimand community loves its pancakes! Several community groups shared their event details for celebrating Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday, and The Press made it out to three events in Hagersville, Caledonia, and Cayuga for a look at the action last Tuesday evening. Many of the annual events are used as fundraisers for a variety of groups, several church events may lean more into the religious traditions of the evening, but all participants were sure to get a belly full of tasty breakfast for dinner and a heart full of fun and friendship.
What is Shrove Tuesday and why pancakes and carnivals? The Press consulted five Christian denominations to find out.
Shrove Tuesday is a Christian festival celebrated worldwide and differently, but what is the same: it’s always the Tuesday before the start of Lent. Lent is when Christians temporarily renounce personal luxuries in memory of Jesus journeying the desert to fast and pray for 40 days.
‘Shriving’ is a term to describe the imposing of a penance, where Christians would go to the church on Shrove Tuesday to confess their sins and be cleansed, or shriven. And while the exact date of Shrove Tuesday changes from year to year, it’s always on a Tuesday, and always 47 days before Easter Sunday. Depending on the church or parish you attend, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia will typically celebrate Pancake Day.
Historically during the season of Lent, participants would sacrifice their pallets and give up the good stuff – like dairy, fat, and sugar – so this was the last day of binging on those goodies, and pancakes have those very ingredients.
The tradition started in 1445 in Buckinghamshire, England when a woman lost track of time whilst making pancakes. She ran straight toward the church bells, warning that Shrove Tuesday service was to begin. She arrived to the church, pan in hand and pancake within.
Now, such as seen throughout Haldimand, the day has turned into an opportunity to fundraise and to commune through pancakes and all the fixings.
The day is celebrated differently in other parts of the world, with one commonly known example being New Orleans’ Mardi Gras – which is French for ‘Fat Tuesday.’
For many people, Mardi Gras means penitential time begins at sundown, but ultimately the party stops at midnight, with an elaborate parade of police officers walking down the streets followed by street cleaners, as Lent begins at the stroke of midnight.
