Pancake Day is nearly here

Lent lasts for 40 days (not counting Sundays – fasting is not required on these days) marked by repentance, fasting, reflection and ultimately celebration.  The 40 day period represents Christ’s tome of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and Satan tempted him.  Lent asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an intentional season of focus for Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice and resurrection.

Ash Wednesday – officially known as the Day of Ashes – is a day of repentance, when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God.  A bell would be rung to call people to confession.  This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung today.  Anglo Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved of their sins). During a Mass a priest places the ashes on the worshipper’s forehead in the shape of a cross.

But why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fasts before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.  The pancake has a very long history and is featured in cookery books as far back as 1439 and the tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old.

A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan.  A traditional English pancake is a thin, flat, round cake made from a mixture of flour, milk and egg, fried on both sides and is served immediately.  Golden syrup or lemon juice and sugar are the usual toppings, but I prefer orange and sugar as do most people in our modern world.

In the UK, pancake races became an important part of Shrove Tuesday celebrations.  As well as giving up “luxury” foods, the faithful were expected to forego fun pastimes such as dancing and playing games like football.  Therefore Shrovetide (The four days preceding lent) was a time for merriment.  A legacy of these festivities is the pancake race.  Dating from around 1445, legend has it that local women heard about Shriving bell while making pancakes and ran to church in their aprons, still clutching her frying pan.  This became the opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down the streets tossing pancakes.  The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping it as they run.  Although like many traditions this has mostly died out, however tradition prevails as there is still a race every year in Olney.

So on Pancake Day – Tuesday 21^st February 2023 – enjoy your pancakes, whether you prefer them sweet or savoury, and reflect on the past… maybe think about reviving the Pancake Race in your community??