Today, Shove Tuesday, is known as Pancake Tuesday in North America and many countries around the world, including many countries where Chalice works – but each with its own regional twist!
In our Goa site on the western coast of India, they call it Pancake Tuesday, too, or in the Konkani language, “Alle Belle Tuesday.” Alle Belle are coconut stuffed pancakes, crepe-like delights sweetened with jaggery and spiced with cardamom.
“Alle Belle Tuesday marks the beginning of Lent,” says Sr. Jyoti, our Goa site director. “Pancake Day is a time for us to feast and merrymaking. It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. On that day, a lavish lunch is prepared with meats like Pork vindaloo, sorpotel [pork curry], and Goan sausage pulao [pilaf].” They chase it with popular Goan beverages such as fermented cashew apple juice and port wine.
In Ukraine, Shrovetide is translated as Масниця or Masnytsiia. “Masnytsiia is one of the brightest holidays that Ukrainians celebrate, in honor of saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring,” says Roman, Pochaiv site director. During this week, people don’t eat meat and make their meals from flour, milk, cheese, eggs, mushrooms, and fish.
“In our region, the week before Lent is called Cheesefare Week (in Ukrainian: Syropusnyi Week or Zapusty),” says Halia, our Lviv site director. Both names of the period relate to the word “syr” – cottage cheese.
“The first mentions of Syropust date back to the 4th century,” says Khrystyna, Ternopil site director. Since Ukraine adopted Christianity, this holiday has meant stuffing many things with cheese. Hence, Syropust.
“The tradition of making dishes with cottage cheese during the last week before Great Lent has remained until today,” says Khrystyna. “People in our area make dumplings (pyrogi) filled mainly with cottage cheese or potato and cheese, or buckwheat and cheese but also with other fillings; cheese pancakes; buckwheat pancakes; crepes with sweet cheese served with sour cream; bake cheesecakes, buns filled with cottage cheese, green onions and dill, or buns with sweet cheese and vanilla.”
“Although pancakes (mlyntsi) are the most common dish for us these days,” Halia says, “they were not baked in Ukraine in the past. Instead, every household had dumplings (varenyky). We also baked milk porridges, malai (flatbread made from corn, pea, or millet flour), vermicelli and egg casseroles with rye or buckwheat flour, and duzhyky.” Halia says. Duzhyky is a bread used in church services to honour and pray for the deceased, often during a memorial service.
“This festive week, filled with fun games, delicious dishes and folk rituals, gives hope for a quick warm summer,” says Roman. “This is a great opportunity for Ukrainians to spend time with family and friends, prepare traditional dishes and take part in the rite that symbolizes the victory of spring over winter.”
Search shrove Ukraine on RS for several pic options….