Happy Pancake Day! Or maybe you know it as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Carnival. It’s also the day before Lent for Christian denominations that observe it. We’re not from a Christian tradition that specifically observe Lent, but when I heard about Pancake Day a few years ago it just sounded like a fun “holiday” to do with the kids. We love pancakes around here, and it sounded fun to eat pancakes on a day when, apparently, many, many other people are doing the same!
The tradition of eating pancakes the day before the start of Lent dates back centuries. In times past, women wanted to use up fats and other rich foods that would be abstained from during lent, and pancakes were a tasty way to do this. In England, children would run from house to house singing a little song about the shrovetide, and demanding bits of food — pancakes, donuts or other rich foods, depending on the local custom. More recently, a custom of “pancake races” has developed that involves running while flipping a pancake in a skillet.
Today we’ll be eating pancakes for lunch and talking about Pancake Day and other similar observances around the world!
Want to read more? Here are few links to check out:
An old book about British customs with a section on Shrove Tuesday and “goin a shrovin” (@ Google Books)