Growing up in a Catholic family in South Africa, we used to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday to use up all the fat and sugar in the house, and then on Ash Wednesday (after having these done at Mass) Lent would begin. No candy, no movies, no desserts for 40 days.
Despite being VERY VERY secular, Swedes like to eat Semlor on ‘Fat Tuesday’.
When I came to Sweden, you would only see semlor around Fat Tuesday, but now you can find them pretty much year-round. Kind of like Hot Cross Buns used to be only for Good Friday to celebrate the end of Lent, but are now available all year.
I am not a semla fan. I find the bun part too big and too dry, and the almond paste very rich. It would be much better if the bun was scooped out and the paste was inside the bun instead of just slapped on top, with a little hat on. But some people try to eat one every single day during the season.
How does your country celebrate the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday?