SIIROVE-TIDE, or SHROVE-TUESDAY (from the Anglo-Saxon serifan, to confess), signifies the time of confessing sins ; for which purpose this day was anciently set apart by the church of Rome as a preparation for the austerities of Lent. This season was likewise called Fastens, and by all of which titles it is yet designated in different parts of the North.
In the Reformed Church the ancient practice of shriving or con fessing at Shrove-tide is discontinued.
After the people had made the confession required at this season by the discipline of the ancient church, they were permitted to indulge in festive amusements, although not allowed to partake of anything beyond the usual substitutes for flesh ; and hence arose the custom yet preserved of eating pancakes and fritters at Shrovetide, which has given this day the vulgar appellation of Pancake Tuesday. The Mon day preceding was, by the vulgar, called Collop Monday, a name which it even yet retains in some places from the primitive custom of eating eggs on collopa or slices of bread, which the less scrupulous and more luxurious moderns have extended to collops of meat.
On these days of authorised indulgence all kinds of recreations were tolerated, provided a due regard was paid to the abstinence com manded by the Church; and from this origin sprang the Carnival. To the pastimes of this early age are also to be traced the diversions of football, cock-fighting, and cock-throwing, as well as the discon tinued customs of whippmg-tops, roasting of herrings, Jack of Lent, &c., which three last-named sports were evidently meant as types of the rigour of church discipline. The cock-fightinga and cock-throwings in England, which have gone into disuse, were once general throughout the kingdom at this senson.
(Brady's Claris Calendaria, vol. i.; Brand's Popular A n lig., vol. i.) SI, in music, the name given by the English, Italians, and French to the seventh of the syllables used in solmisation ; and, by the two last, also to the note, or sound, called n by the Germans and Englieh. [Sozattsartox.]