As the day traditionally required the removal of fatty foods - sugar, primarily - from pantries and fridges, the day became synonyms with the cooking of pancakes.

"It's called 'Mardi Gras' or 'Fat Tuesday' [in French], but [in Australia] we've become accustomed to think that's something that happen on Oxford Street later in the month, so we don't really know it that way here," said Father Paddy Sykes, parish priest of Our Lady Fatima in Wagga.

"Originally it meant cleaning out things like butter, cream and jams and having a really big slap-up before things get more serious [on Wednesday]."

Known to many in Australia as 'Shrove Tuesday', the feasting on 'temptation foods' heralds the beginning of 40 days' Lent on the Catholic calendar.

"Because Lent leads to the most significant celebration of the year, the Octave of Easter, it's a high point in the year and people want to be well prepared," Father Paddy said.

"We encourage extra prayer, penance or fasting, and arms or giving to the poor."

Schools and preschools around the city, including the TAFE preschool in Wagga participated in a Shrove Tuesday festival on Tuesday to mark the day's importance.

The first day of Lent - known as Ash Wednesday - begins the period of fasting for members of the Catholic order.

It is a time of reflection and devotion not unlike the Muslim observance of Ramadan, said Father Paddy.

"We become attached to things in life, food, comforts, technology and this is a reminder that we can be distracted by these things from the things that matter," Father Paddy said.

"Most churches have a special arrangement to give to those in need at this time."

Though most years, the nation's collective Catholic churches will funnel their funds to a charity operating in a developing country, this year, it will stay inside Australia.

"We're giving to the bushfire appeals through the St Vincent de Paul Society," Father Paddy said.

Through his more than 25 years as a priest, Father Paddy has seen some common choices for his parishioners to swear off during their time of Lent.

There are always those - particularly the younger members of the church - who try to find a loophole in what they can give up.

"When you start talking to school children, they tell you they want to give up homework for Lent," Father Paddy laughs.

"But then I have to explain to them that actually Lent is not really about giving things up as much as it's about doing extra things. Maybe that means attending an extra Mass during the week, rather than denying themselves something."

But, for many of his parishioners, Lent has become a time to disconnect from the online world as more and more of life is spent virtually.

"Technology is a huge thing to be denying ourselves. I don't think anyone saw how the iPhone would dominate our lives when they were first made," Father Paddy said.

"In days gone, it used to be ice-cream or chocolate or alcohol or trips to McDonald's that we'd give up. Those things still do come up, but a lot of the time now it's technology."

For Father Paddy, however, the 40 days of Lent will take a more traditional turn this year, with the giving up of some of his personal favourite snacks and desserts.

"When you're a priest in a parish like this one, you are fortunate to be presented with a lot of cakes and sponges, so I'll be giving up a lot of that this year and I think that will help my girth a bit too," he said.