Looking ahead to Pancake Day

Whyte Ridge

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2025 (467 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I was out at our favourite pancake restaurant recently, and noticed a sign advertising a sale for Pancake Day on Thuesday, March 4. It brought back memories of my mother making thin, crepe-like pancakes with lemon and sugar back in England, many decades ago – quite different from the syrup-covered, light and fluffy pancakes we typically get in Canada.

The concept of Pancake Day originated more than a thousand years ago, as part of a Christian tradition. The meal is associated with Shrove Tuesday, before the start of Lent, a period of fasting and reflection before Easter. During this period, rich foods such as eggs, sugar, milk and fat were given up, and food was typically limited to one vegetarian meal after sunset. In preparation for giving up these perishable foods during Lent, stocks of eggs, sugar and milk were typically used up before ot began. Many Christian congregations celebrated Shrove Tuesday through pancake breakfasts, the earliest record of which is more than 500 years ago. The day became associated with feasting and merriment, as families gathered to enjoy pancakes together before the solemnity of Lent began. In many countries the day is known as “Fat Tuesday,” from the custom of using up all the meat and fatty foods in the house before Lent. Fat Tuesday translates to “Mardi Gras” in French, which is now a world-famous festival and parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and New Orleans, in the U.S.A., involving decorated floats, costumes, masks and beads.

Children in some countries celebrate Shrove Tuesday by dressing up in costumes and gathering treats. Some countries celebrate by eating pea soup, salted meat, or sweet buns, rather than pancakes. In the United Kingdom, pancake races have become a popular tradition, where participants race, often in fancy dress, while flipping pancakes in frying pans. Some communities celebrate with community soccer games or other community events.

So, there’s a fair amount of history, culture and culinary creativity on Pancake Day, and it seems to be a tradition in many places that brings families and communities together to celebrate. While I’ve never been to Mardi Gras, and it sounds like it would be lots of fun – meanwhile, I’m looking forward to enjoying pancakes on March 4.