Shrove Monday, also known as Collop Monday, is part of the Christian pre-Lenten period known as Shrovetide. While less well-known than Shrove Tuesday, it historically held significance in certain Christian traditions, especially in Europe and the UK.

Table of Contents

1. When is Shrove Monday?
2. The History of Shrove Monday?
3. What Do People Do on This Day?
4. Shrovetide

When is Shrove Monday?

Shrove Monday is observed on the Monday before Ash Wednesday, as part of the Christian pre-Lenten period known as Shrovetide. Shrove Monday occurs 48 days before Easter Sunday.

The date varies each year based on the date of Easter, and the following is the list of Shrove Monday from 2020 to 2049.

The History of Shrove Monday

Shrove Monday, part of the pre-Lenten season known as Shrovetide, has a rich history rooted in Christian tradition and European customs. It served as a day of both spiritual preparation and indulgence before the austerity of Lent, making it a quieter counterpart to the more festive Shrove Tuesday.

The word Shrove comes from the Old English shrive, meaning to confess sins and seek absolution. Shrove Monday was part of the Church's emphasis on repentance and preparation for Lent, which was traditionally a time of strict fasting and abstinence, particularly from meat, dairy and rich foods.

By the 4th century, Lent was formalized as a 40-day period of fasting leading to Easter, modeled on Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Shrovetide, including Shrove Monday, became a time for spiritual reflection and confession, as well as feasting to prepare for the fast.

During the Middle Ages, Shrove Monday was marked by both spiritual practices and festive customs: confession and repentance, feasting on rich foods and meats.

Today, Shrove Monday is less widely recognized as a distinct day but remains part of the pre-Lenten preparation for many Christians. It serves as a quieter day of reflection and repentance before the festive celebrations of Shrove Tuesday.

What Do People Do on This Day?

On Shrove Monday, people historically engaged in a mix of religious practices, culinary traditions, and community activities, all as part of the broader Shrovetide season leading up to Lent.

Shrove Monday was traditionally a day to prepare spiritually for Lent. People were encouraged to reflect on their lives, confess their sins, and seek absolution to begin Lent with a clean heart.

In England, families would eat slices of meat served with eggs. This dish used up the last of the meat and fat before Lent, when these ingredients were traditionally avoided. Some households began making pancakes on Shrove Monday as a way to use up eggs, butter, and milk, though this is more commonly associated with Shrove Tuesday. Festive sweet foods are served in other European communities.

In some regions, Shrovetide included games and fairs that began on Shrove Monday and continued through Shrove Tuesday.

Shrovetide

Shrovetide is a period in the Christian liturgical calendar leading up to Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, traditionally observed as a time for confession, feasting and spiritual preparation.

Shrovetide traditionally encompasses the three days before Ash Wednesday: Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday. However, Shrovetide refers to the entire period following Epiphany (January 6th) and culminating on Shrove Tuesday in some traditions.

Shrovetide serves as a time of repentance and spiritual cleansing in preparation for the penitential season of Lent. It is also marked by feasting and indulgence, using up rich foods before the fasting rules of Lent begin.

Historically, Christians were expected to confess their sins during Shrovetide to enter Lent with a "clean slate", and Shrovetide bridges the celebratory season of Epiphany with the solemnity of Lent, emphasizing both joy and penitence.

Shrovetide remains a time for many Christians to reflect and prepare for Lent through prayer and worship, and it is often celebrated with communal feasts, games, and local traditions, blending religious and cultural elements.