Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Romans 3:22

“Fastnacht Day” is Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The translation of fastnacht is “fast night,” or “eve of the fast,” because it precedes the traditional fasting of Lent. Lent is a period of forty days leading up to Easter on the Christian church calendar. It recalls the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. Christians have been observing Lent since the early centuries of the church. Even though most Amish do not celebrate Lent, Fastnacht Day is still celebrated today in many Amish communities, including those in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The traditional food for Fastnacht Day is a doughnut called a fastnacht. In the past this recipe was seen as a way to use up sugar, butter, lard, and other fats before the fasting during Lent.

Originally, on Monday, dough was put in straw baskets to rise, then cut in squares and deep-fried. Served with hot coffee at breakfast, the popular way to eat these doughnuts was to split them in half and spread them with honey. (Today they are often rolled in confectioners’ sugar.)

While I wouldn’t mind biting into a yummy fastnacht, the important thing to remember is that the reason for Lent—for forty days of sacrifice—is to bring to our remembrance the sacrifice Jesus made for us. During the time leading up to Easter, Amish children learn about Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection at school and at home. It does us good also to use this season for contemplation. It’s not the feasting or fasting that makes a difference but placing our faith in Jesus—believing in Him, trusting in Him with all our hearts.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for the goodness You bring into my life, but thank You even more for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice.