Because it’s called Fat Thursday-proiezionidiborsa.it
When does Shrove Thursday fall? And why is it called that way? What do you eat on this day and during the Carnival period? We answer these and many other curiosities in this very interesting article!
We are in the midst of Carnival. In Italy, and in the world in general, the year is marked by a succession of holidays. Carnival follows the Christmas and the Hagand precedes Easter. As per tradition, each holiday has its own characteristics and is celebrated according to rites that have been handed down for centuries.
Carnival 2023: when it falls and the key dates
Unlike many other holidays, which always occur on the same day, Carnival is a moveable feastwhich ddepends on Easter. Specifically, the Carnival begins 70 days before Easter Sundaywhich this year will be Sunday 9 April. Carnival 2023 will close on Tuesday 21 Februarywith the best known Shrove Tuesday. Other notable dates are the Thursday (the next February 16th) And Sunday 19 February (Carnival Sunday).
Next, the February 22nd it will be there Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the Lent: the 40 days preceding Easter.
Do you know why it’s called Shrove Thursday?
To better understand the etymology of Shrove Thursday, it is good to start from the meaning of the word Carnival. The term comes from the Latin expression “carnem take off”, which literally means “to remove the meat”. In fact, this Latin phrase underlines the fact that during the period of Lent you have to practice the fastor rather, theabstinence from meatand prayer. Giving up meat symbolically represents the penancewaiting for the Easter rebirth.
In contrast to this, the first day of Carnival (the Shrove Thursday precisely) it is celebrated with rich and sumptuous banquets. According to ancient tradition, these celebrations end with Shrove Tuesday. Last day where you can have fun between parties, jokes, revelry and lavish lunchesbefore the long abstinence of Lent.
In practice, therefore, from Shrove Thursday to Shrove Tuesday you can indulge yourself with general binges before having to suffer the long “fasting” from meat and, more generally, from fatty, greedy and high-calorie foods.
Here are the foods that cannot be missing from the table
So, now that you know why it’s called Shrove Thursday, let’s see the foods that tradition commands on this day and in the days to follow, until the following Tuesday.
Typical of Shrove Thursday and Carnival in general are the fried sweets. Give her small talk or frappeat pancakespassing through the chestnuts and tortelli. At the regional level, the Campania milethe Florentine flatbreadsi donuts from Bolzano and the Neapolitan black pudding.
In addition to desserts, during the carnival period, dishes based on are depopulated throughout Italy pork meat. From north to south, it is therefore a riot of sausages and chops cooked in tomato sauce. TO Naplesthe Carnival first course par excellence is the Naples-Lasagna. In the Neapolitan version, the typical Emilian dish based on minced meat and bechamel is extremely enriched with the addition of ragù, ricotta, fried meatballs, mozzarella and much more at the discretion of the cook!
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As a second, we recall the Neapolitan chop: roulade of beef stuffed with pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic, parsley and raisinsand finally cooked in tomato sauce.
