Tuesday, February 05, 2008

It's Pancake Day!

For many Christians around the world Shrove Tuesday is the day before Lent starts: the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It's a day of penitence, to clean the soul, and a day of celebration as the last chance to feast before Lent begins.

Shrove Tuesday is sometimes called Pancake Day after the fried batter recipe traditionally eaten on this day here in the UK. Lent is considered a time of abstinence, of giving things up. So Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself. The need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras {Fat Tuesday}. Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour.

Needless to say we are having pancakes for dinner tonight! The kids are thrilled and Tim... well, he is less than enthused about it!!

2 comments:

Diana said...

There is somethng else they made too. Marsh or one of the stores had something in there ad with the same story. You made pancakes last year for this too (and blogged about it too)
Happy Pancake Day:)

2 kids...3 martinis said...

Yum! My kids would love it too!
I wondered where the term "fat Tuesday" came from! Who knew reading your blog would be so very educational!
We were so lucky as to have been in New Orleans for the last Mardi Gras before Hurricane Katrina hit and our Tuesday was so very, very fat!! :) No one does it like New Orleans does it!!!!
Have a good one!