Today is “Super Tuesday” in the U.S. political process. It is also, in the Western Church Calendar, Shrove Tuesday, the eve of Lent. Not a problem for the churches. There are no special liturgical observances for the day. Pancake suppers are frequently found, but they are social (and perhaps fund-raising) events with no sense of religious obligation. So I was not surprised to see a notice at my church that there would be nothing happening on Shrove Tuesday this year: We were all encouraged to do our civic duty and attended our political party caucuses. No problem.

However, outside of the churches, some people are more upset:

From IHOP resolves 2008 Pancake Day ‘flap’

IHOP was alarmed to discover that the 2008 running of the Super Tuesday primaries has been set for Feb. 5, a date that coincides with Shrove Tuesday — arguably the most important date in the pancake calendar.

Shrove Tuesday, which also goes by several other names like Mardi Gras and Pancake Day, marks the final day before the beginning of the somber season of Lent. The tradition of eating pancakes flows from a need to use up rich foods like milk, sugar and eggs before the launch of Lent’s 40-day fast.

The flapjack festival is obviously crucial to any restaurant chain specializing in pancakes. Indeed, starting in 2006, IHOP began using Shrove Tuesday as an opportunity to hold in-store fund raising events for the Children’s Miracle Network.

With 15 states planning key primary elections on Feb. 5, 2008, IHOP wrote the state governors and asked them to change the date of the elections.

Despite the lobbying efforts, the Feb. 5 votes are going ahead as planned. In what is being billed as a compromise, IHOP says it will celebrate “National Pancake Day” on Feb. 12. Several state governors, meanwhile, have pledged to proclaim Feb. 12 to be “National Pancake Day.”

There is no word on whether IHOP has asked the Vatican to shift the timing of Lent.

via GetReligion.