For decades Shrove Tuesday has been celebrated by Christians who have enjoyed pancakes at church halls. However with COVID-19, some churches like St. Paul’s Cathedral are hosting virtual pancake dinners.
Reverend Paul Millward is the Rector at St. Paul’s, and he says “Shrove Tuesday is the day before the holy season of Lent which is a season that leads us into the Easter season.”
He adds the people have been encouraged to go online and join from their homes. “ There is a little bit of interaction, your favourite pancake story or maybe a recipe, and just a sense of community.”
Another way to acknowledge the day is with a delicious, deep-fried piece of rich dough called paczki. Lynn’s Bakery on Dundas Street is been making them for the first time ever and it won’t be their last.
“We’ve been doing three flavours this year, lemon, raspberry and then Bavarian cream,” says A.J. O’Connor from the bakery. “I didn’t expect them to go off as well as they did.”
Initially O’Connor thought they would sell about 3 hundred, however over the course of 5 days they ended up going through more than 3000.
O’Connor adds, “ It’s Shrove Tuesday and this is a Polish donut and you know maybe it’s something like St. Patty’s day, you can be Polish for a day and have a donut.”
