Why do we have a Pancake Day?

TODAY is Pancake Day, which means many of us will eat platefuls of the simple breakfast favourite.

But pancakes are not the real reason for these celebrations, as the traditional name for this day is Shrove Tuesday.

Why do we have a pancake day?

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is arguably the best part of Easter celebrations for many of us foodies.

Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras is a Christian festival that marks the beginning of Lent.

Lent is a period of fasting that is meant to remind us of when Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights before his death.

In French-speaking places it is often called Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Carnival, using up all the fatty foods before the period of fasting.

And in many areas, Mardi Gras has extended to a week-long celebration.

Shrove comes from the old English word "shrive", which means "to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of confession and doing penance."

The day always falls on a Tuesday because it marks the period of time between the start of Lent and Easter.

When did pancake day start?

Pancake Day dates as far back as 1000AD.

It was called Shrovetide in the Middle Ages, when people would make a point of visiting a priest the week before to confess to all the naughty things they'd done, then be shriven and told what they had to do to make up for it.

Shrove Tuesday is meant as one last hurrah before everything gets sombre and repentant.

They would often ring bells, have a feast and be merry.

In other cultures they take things to another level, with carnivals like the famous one in Rio de Janeiro, and the Venetian masquerade.

Traditionally families would cook up all the sugary, fatty and fun foods that they were going to give up for the much leaner Lent - usually in the form of a pancake.

What pancake day activities are there?

Of course, eating pancakes is the main activity on Shrove Tuesday, and you can try a whole range of toppings to keep them creative.

These can range from Nutella, or fruits, to a fancy smoked salmon, crème fraiche and dill.

You can even get recipes from your favourite celebrity chefs.

Although some people just prefer the traditional lemon and sugar.

You could make a fun shaped one if you're feeling fancy.

In 2022, M&S launched a Percy Pig pancake collection including tea towels and helpful frying pan with Percy's face outlined on it.

Families or couples could have a flipping contest, to see how many full flips their pancake can do in a minute - the world record is 140 in 60 seconds.