I can’t believe it’s that time again!
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday to give it it’s proper name, is on Tuesday the 9th of February this year.
The word ‘shrove’ derives from the English word ‘shrive’, which means to obtain absolution for your sins by making a confession and paying a penance. The custom was for Christians to be ‘shriven’ before the start of Lent. Which is the period of 40 days before Easter in the Christian calendar. It starts on Ash Wednesday and is a season of reflection and preparation before Easter. When traditionally people would fast by eating plain food, not food that would give particular pleasure. So, kitchens and larders would be cleared of rich ingredients such as dairy products and eggs. And what better way to use them up than to make pancakes!
Have a look at this super recipe for pancakes:
As well as giving people with an excellent excuse to treat themselves with a delicious meal of scrummy pancakes, Pancake Day provides an opportunity to have some really good fun watching or taking part in your local Pancake Day race. Which will involve participants with frying pans racing through the streets tossing pancakes in the air and catching them. This is a tradition that apparently goes back to 1445. When a housewife in Buckinghamshire was so busy making pancakes that she got carried away and nearly missed her Shrove Tuesday church service. She heard the church bells ringing and ran down the street still carrying her frying pan and tossing a pancake to prevent it burning!
The annual charity Parliamentary Pancake Race in London is particularly well supported and publicised. And so it should be considering politicians and journalists join in the fun. Have a look at this viciously contested race in Westminster:
I hope you have a really enjoyable Pancake Day making and eating your cakes. And if you need some good ideas for making some that are a little different, please view the following:
Happy Pancake Day from all at Daffy-down-dilly, your High Street and online sweet shop 🙂
daffydowndilly.co.uk
