Pancake Tuesday

Pancake Tuesday is also called Pancake day or Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the period which Christians call Lent. This day is one of the moveable feasts in the church calendar and is directly related to the date on which Easter falls.

When is Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)?
Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before to Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9.

Why do we call the day Shrove Tuesday?
The name Shrove comes from the old word "shrive" which means to confess. On Shrove Tuesday, in the Middle Ages, people used to confess their sins so that they were forgiven before the season of Lent began.

What is Shrove Tuesday?
Shrove Tuesday is a day of celebration as well as penitence, because it's the last day before Lent. Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. Pancakes are eaten on this day because they contain fat, butter and eggs which were forbidden during Lent.

What is an Irish pancake?
A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a pan. The photograph shows a pancake being cooked in a frying pan. Caster sugar (superfine sugar) is sprinkled over the top and a dash of fresh lemon juice added. The pancake is then rolled. Some people add maple syrup, golden syrup or jam

Other names for Shrove Tuesday
- Ireland, UK and Australia - Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday
- Sweden - Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday).
- In Catholic and French-speaking parts of the United States this day is called Mardi Gras.
- Poland - Paczki Day.
- Germany - Fasnacht Day (also spelled Fausnacht Day and Fauschnaut Day).
- France - Mardi Gras, which means Grease or Fat Tuesday.
- Iceland - "Sprengidagur" (Bursting day).

We made pancakes in school, they were very nice! We will post up the pictures soon!

Here are some pancake day activities.