Today is Pancake day, it’s time to get your frying pans ready!
On February 21st 2023, English people across the country will be celebrating this traditional day with a large pancake feast. English traditions have been around for centuries and are still celebrated today and one of the most widely known English traditions is Pancake Day, which falls on Shrove Tuesday each year.
Pancake Day is a time of celebration where family, friends and neighbours gather to enjoy delicious pancakes with a variety of toppings. It’s a tradition that dates back to the 15th Century and was originally used as an opportunity for Christians to use up all their eggs, butter and milk before fasting in preparation for Lent.
These days, Pancake Day has become more than just a religious observance, it’s also seen as an excuse to eat tasty treats. Families come together over pancakes topped with everything, from chocolate spread to golden syrup and ice cream or even lemon.
Another tradition during that day in the UK is the pancake racing. Yes! There are often pancake races which involve flipping a pancake in a pan whilst running towards the finish line! This beloved celebration has been part of English culture since way back in 1445.
But, this day is not just important for that. Pancake Day is an English tradition connected to the period of Lent. It is an important part of many people’s cultural and religious practices, as it occurs just before Ash Wednesday. The day has a long history that goes back centuries, and it is celebrated with much enthusiasm in England every year.
The connection between Pancake Day and Ash Wednesday is that they both occur during the same week leading up to Easter Sunday. The traditional date for Pancake Day falls on Shrove Tuesday, which is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. This means that, it usually lands somewhere between February 3rd and March 9th each year. As Ash Wednesday follows Shrove Tuesday by one day, it usually takes place within two days of Pancake Day.
As probably you nkow, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent when people abstain from certain things like eating meat or drinking alcohol and local churches host services where ashes are placed on worshippers’ foreheads to mark the start of this religious period.
So, how can we know when Lent begins if such a period is different every year? Here are some tips.
First of all, you need to understand the Christian calendar; specifically, when Easter falls each year. The date of Easter changes from year to year because it follows a lunar calendar, that moves around relative to the traditional Gregorian calendar used by most countries today. In general terms though, Lent begins 47 days before Easter Sunday, and always keeping in mind that, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon of spring.
So why don’t we join in the celebrations this year?
Here is a delicious recipe for pancakes.
