Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, takes place every winter. It's celebrated by, you guessed it, eating delicious pancakes.

Some people treat themselves by heading to a restaurant for a stack of fluffy pancakes, while others try their hand at creating their own from scratch. However you mark pancake day, have you ever wondered why the delicacy is honoured on Shrove Tuesday?

In the Christian calendar, Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, with the latter signalling the start of Lent. The 40-day period of Lent is traditionally observed as a period of self-discipline and people tend to give up a bad habit or vice until Easter begins.

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But why does that mean we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? People tend to give up sweet treats for Lent, so eating pancakes is a way of indulging before going without. But there is more to it than that.

Historically, Shrove Tuesday marked a day where people had to prepare for Lent, and since people were not going to be baking cakes or other desserts for over a month they needed to get rid of any leftover items that would go out of date.

Thus enters the pancake, it's a quick and easy treat that uses eggs, milk and sugar - a practical solution to using up rich ingredients. Some communities even choose to host a pancake race where people race each other while holding frying pans with pancakes in them.

Lent lasts for just under six weeks, leading up to the Easter period, bringing the period of fasting to an end. Easter then marks the Resurrection of Jesus three days after his death by crucifixion.