It's P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P Pancake Day!

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 Well, actually, Pancake Day was a few weeks ago - 21 February to be exact. But as we're in the middle of Lent, it's as good a time as any to write about this festival.

Pancake Day is officially known as Shrove Tuesday. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, which itself begins 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. It was customary to use up rich food such as eggs, milk and sugar before the Lenten fast began, and pancakes are the perfect way to do this. In other countries it is known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, and marked with a carnival.

So while Shrove Tuesday is not exclusively a UK festival, there are several uniquely British ways of celebrating it. One being the sheer obsession with pancakes - in fact many Brits think of it as 'Pancake Day' without any religious connotations whatever. Supermarkets stock pancake mix and lemon juice on special display stands, while websites are full of strange and unusual pancake recipes. Social media suggests that individuals around the world are somewhat baffled by Brits' obsession with pancakes.

Pancake races take place across the UK on Pancake Day. The race is run with each runner carrying a pancake in a pan. As they run, they must toss the pancake several times. Some races also feature fancy dress. The most famous pancake race takes place in the town of Olney in Buckinghamshire. It is thought that this race has been taking place since 1445.

The Olney pancake race

The children's comedy series Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, which ran from 1989-1994, featured a song about Pancake Day. In recent years, the song has gained more and more traction each Pancake Day as the video is shared multiple times over social media.


Meanwhile, other unique Shrove Tuesday celebrations include the Royal Shrovetide Football game, played each year in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. The Up'ards (those born upward of the river) and the Down'ards (those born downwards) compete all round the town aiming to tap a ball three times on stone plinths which serve the purpose of goals. The event, which lasts for two days, has been played from at least 1667 and resembles rugby more than football. Local shops close early and board up, but volunteer stewards are present to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Players at the Royal Shrovetide Football game


Comments

  1. Kathleen HughesMarch 24, 2023 at 9:18 AM

    Laura, I absolutely love this! And maple syrup goes great on pancakes :). I don't think we could have outdoor races like that, as the batter would freeze in February!

    ReplyDelete

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