PANCAKE DAY
Pancake Day has
been celebrated by Britons for centuries. Known also as Shrove Tuesday,
its exact date, rather confusingly, changes every year, because it is
determined by when Easter falls. But it is always the day preceding Ash
Wednesday (the first day of Lent), and always falls in February or March. This
year, you'll need to get your pans ready for Tuesday, February 9th.
Traditionally, pancakes were eaten on this day to use up rich, indulgent foods like eggs and milk before the 40-day fasting season of Lent began. But although it is enshrined in Christian tradition, it is believed that Pancake Day might originate in a pagan holiday, when eating warm, round pancakes - symbolising the sun - was a way of celebrating the arrival of spring.
