Today, Tuesday 4 March 2025, we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, a day that marks the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent. This holiday is characterized by celebrations, masked parades and culinary traditions that have their roots in Italian culture.
Origin of the name “Martedì Grasso”
The term “Fat Tuesday” comes from the custom of consuming, on this day, the richest and most delicious foods left in the pantry before the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period dedicated to penance and fasting in preparation for Easter. During Lent, in fact, it was tradition abstain from consuming meat and other foods considered “fatty”.
The word “Carnival” itself may derive from the Latin expression “carnem levare,” meaning “to eliminate meat,” indicating the need to consume meat before the beginning of the Lenten period of abstinence.
Meaning and Traditions of Fat Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is the pinnacle of Carnival celebrations, a period characterized by masks, dances and parades of allegorical floats. In many Italian cities, this day is celebrated with public events that involve entire communities, offering moments of leisure and socializing. From a gastronomic point of view, Shrove Tuesday is associated with rich and hearty dishes, often made with pork. In Piedmont, for example, it is traditional to enjoy Carnival fagiolata, a soup of beans and sausages. In Naples, Carnival lasagne, stuffed with sausage, meatballs, ricotta and various cheeses, is the typical dish of this holiday. Also unmissable are traditional desserts, such as chiacchiere (also known as frappe, bugie or cenci depending on the region) and castagnole, which enrich Italian tables during this period.
Regional Variants: The Ambrosian Rite
It is important to note that not all Italian regions end Carnival with Shrove Tuesday. Milan and in other places that follow the Ambrosian rite, the celebrations continue until Fat Saturday, which this year falls on March 8th.
This difference is linked to the tradition according to which Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, asked the faithful to postpone the beginning of Lent while waiting for his return from a pilgrimage, giving rise to a slightly different liturgical calendar. Therefore, Shrove Tuesday represents one of the traditions liveliest and most heartfelt of Italian culture, combining religious and profane elements in a celebration that involves all age groups. It is a time when communities come together to celebrate, share typical dishes and prepare for the introspection and penance of Lent.
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