Get your eggs, butter, sugar and lemon juice at the ready, for Pancake Day is here.
In 2022, Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday) will fall on Tuesday 1 March.
Whether you find delight in crepe-style pancakes or you prefer the fluffy variations typically found in Scotland and the US, Pancake Day is an annual celebration enjoyed by many across the world in the lead up to the Christian festival of Easter.
From its religious significance to delicious recipes that you can try, here’s everything you need to know about Pancake Day:
What is it and when does it take place?
Shrove Tuesday, also commonly referred to as Pancake Day, is a celebration that’s observed the day before Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday marks the first day of the Christian observance of Lent, a 40-day period of abstinence that precedes Easter (which is a moveable feast).
As such, Ash Wednesday is the last day on which those who observe Lent can enjoy richer foods before abstaining for them, should they choose to.
Throughout the centuries it’s become tradition for people to eat pancakes to mark the beginning of Lent so as to use up ingredients that they wouldn’t be allowed to eat during the 40-day period, which is how Pancake Day obtained its name.
As Pancake Day always takes place 47 days before Easter Sunday, its actual date on the Gregorian calendar can vary.
This year, the annual food-filled event is taking place on Tuesday 1 March.
According to Historic UK, the term Shrove Tuesday derives from the act of Anglo-Saxon Christians confessing their sins before Lent, and thus being “shriven” of them.
In some countries, including France, Germany and the United States, the day before the start of Lent is recognised with a celebration called Mardi Gras.
