On Tuesday the 28th of February, people up and down the country will have stocked up on chocolate spread, bananas, lemons and sugar for Pancake Day 2017.
There are a lot of traditions we follow in the UK. Some more popular than others, but is any more popular among the student population than pancake day. Shrove Tuesday better known as pancake day is an odd tradition because it isn’t the celebration of anything. Shrove Tuesday is all about preparing for life without some of our favourite foods for lent.
Firstly, why do we call it Shrove Tuesday?
Well Shrove Tuesday is the day that precedes Ash Wednesday. As it is determined by Easter, for which the actual date changes on an annual basis. The name Shrove Tuesday comes from shrive, meaning absolution for sins by doing penance. The day gets its name from the tradition of Christians trying to be ‘shriven’ before Lent.
Why do we eat pancakes?
The Pancake tradition arrived much later as a way of using up rich foods, like eggs, milk and sugar before the 40 days of fasting – Lent. Eggs, milk and sugar aren’t traditionally eaten in fasting season, so need to be scoffed beforehand.
Do many other countries celebrate Shrove Tuesday?
Ever heard of Mardi Gras? Or the Rio Carnival? These celebrations started as a way to drink all the booze, have all the fun and eat all the fat food before lent started. Mardi Gras translates to Fat Tuesday.
