Pancake History

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, Pancake Tuesday (whatever you know it as), is marked 47 days before Easter Sunday, and is traditionally a feasting day before Ash Wednesday and Lent begins.

This year, Shrove Tuesday is February 16th. The date changes as Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring equinox and can therefore fall anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th.

However, eating pancakes on this day also comes from a tradition of using up any rich foods before Lent when austerity, prayer and fasting begins. Rich treats like sweet pa̡czki are traditional in Poland, and King Cake is an iconic part of Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) in New Orleans.

Anglo Saxon Christians went to confession on Shrove Tuesday and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). A bell would be rung to call people to confession. This came to be called the “Pancake Bell” and is still rung in parts of the country today.

Similarly, in observant Jewish households, on the day before Passover begins, the family cleans house thoroughly and searches high and low for any leaven or any food that has leaven (yeast) in it. This ritual cleansing is a preparation for redemption, letting go of the old life to embrace the new.

The ingredients for pancakes are said to symbolise four points of significance at Easter and springtime. Eggs signify creation, flour is said to be the staff of life, salt is for wholesomeness and milk symbolises purity.

The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookery books as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old: “And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne.” (Pasquil’s Palin, 1619)

The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire. According to tradition, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the shriving bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan. The Olney pancake race is now world famous. Competitors have to be local housewives and they must wear an apron and a hat or scarf.

Residents of Olney take part in the pancake race, dressed in aprons and hats and all holding frying pans.

Each contestant has a frying pan containing a hot pancake. She must toss it three times during the race. The first woman to complete the course and arrive at the church, serve her pancake to the bellringer, and be kissed by him, is the winner.