PCD

PCD - International Pancake Day, Liberal KS

Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday or day before Ash Wednesday or Pancake Day

What?!!?!

I am a die-hard International Pancake Day celebrator. Couple of questions are coming to your mind, I'm sure.

1. What the heck is she talking about?
2. Why?

1. International Pancake Day - celebrated on Shrove Tuesday each year in partnership with the sister city of Olney, England. It is the celebration that leads into Lent.

Pancake Day began when, in Olney, a woman was busy cooking flapjacks to use up her excess fat prior to Lent. Generally, during Lent, people would forego luxuries such as fat and meat. The idea is to sacrifice something we treasure to have even a small idea of what our Lord experienced during this season when he lived his last days prior to his crucifixion. Anyway, as this woman cooked her pancakes, wearing traditional housekeeping garb - apron and head scarf - she heard the church bells ring, calling everyone to worship. The bells caught her so off guard that she just began to run to the church, still in her house-garb and carrying her skillet and pancake. Thus began the initial Pancake Day Race. Liberal joined in on the partnership 62 years ago. You can read more about the festivities at www.pancakeday.net.

2. Why do I steadfastly celebrate? I love small towns and their festivals. I think, like Lent, they bring people together. They bring new people into the community, they celebrate family, love and history. Lent is the opportunity for us to remember our history and bring us back to our Lord, to see that we cannot deserve all that He is done for us but that He loves us so much that we only crave to be near and learn more.

I have celebrated PCD, literally, around the world. I have shared the joys and stories of PCD with friends who celebrate around the world. One year, I celebrated with friends in Kenya and the year before that in Tanzania. I have friends who are celebrating in Asia and all over North America. Facebook is flooded with pictures and games and hilarious stories. Folks want to know why I celebrate and what the heck I'm celebrating. Then, if the door is open, I tell them not only of pancakes, but of sacrifice. Mine and why I do it, which ultimately leads to the conversation of Christ's sacrifice and the entire purpose of the celebration.

You'll hear about what I give up, what I take on, where I struggle, what I learn, what I don't understand. I hope you'll join the journey, celebration, questions and conversations.

Most importantly, I pray that you will come to a point where you refuse to ever NOT celebrate Lent again.