Have you been seeing a lot of talk about pancakes lately?
That might have something to do with pancake day being Tuesday, February 21 — a day that some followers of the Christian faith refer to as Shrove Tuesday.
It usually sees many people — followers and non-followers alike — frying up some pancakes for breakfast for the important day.
Here's a basic breakdown of the tradition and the religious festivities behind it.
Why is it called Shrove Tuesday?
It's the day before followers of the Christian faith observe Lent, which is the period before Easter.
The specific traditions of Lent vary across the Christian denominations, but it's generally a time of fasting, abstinence and repentance.
Followers may give up something trivial such as coffee or dessert or observe more stringent abstinence, but that depends on the person and their faith.
Why do people have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?
Because the restrictions begin on Ash Wednesday, the day before is seen as the last day of merriment and excess.
Followers saw it as a day to use up all their fats and eggs, with pancakes being a good way to use them up — so the pancake-eating is more of a cultural tradition.
There are other names for this day; some people just call it "pancake day", while others use the term "Mardi Gras".
The French translation for Mardi Gras is "fat Tuesday", which hearkens back to the buttery breakfast treats (although, there are no rules saying pancakes are strictly a breakfast food).
When is Ash Wednesday?
Wednesday, February 22.
What is Ash Wednesday?
For most Christian denominations, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.
Again, depending on the denomination, the specific traditions can vary.
But, in general, it sees the burning of palm leaves used in Easter celebrations the year before.
The resulting ashes are used by church leaders to draw a cross on the foreheads of followers in religious ceremonies on that day.
When does Lent start?
This Wednesday, February 22.
It goes right through until the Easter weekend.
So, this year, Lent goes until Thursday, April 6 — just before Good Friday.
But some Christian denominations mark the Easter period on different dates.
Orthodox Christians, for example, will start observing Lent on Wednesday, February 29.
When is Easter?
Easter isn't one specific date.
It's a multi-day religious event where Christians retell the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
The Christian Bible tells the story of Jesus being persecuted by the Roman rulers at the time and sentenced to death by crucifixion — which coincided with the Jewish Passover celebration at the time.
The Easter period goes for about a month.
For most Christian denominations, the main holidays for 2023 are as follows:
- Palm Sunday: April 2
- Good Friday: April 7
- Holy Saturday: April 8
- Easter Sunday: April 9
According to the Christian Bible, Jesus was welcomed into the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, was crucified on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
What are some pancake recipes?
Glad you asked!
Here's a bunch of pancake recipes the ABC has published in the past:
- Failproof pancakes
- Peach pancakes
- Blueberry pancakes
- Pancakes with Roasted Peaches, Ricotta and Blueberries
- Easy Dutch baby pancake with caramel apple
- Sweet sizzling pandan pancake
- Carrot and cabbage okonomiyaki
But if you happen have an old banana lying around and access to a food processor you might want to try this one:
- Step 1: Blitz half a cup of rolled oats in a food processor until the oats form a fine crumb
- Step 2: Add one teaspoon of baking powder, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and a sprinkle of salt and blitz again.
- Step 3: Add one egg and an overripe banana, then blitz for a third time.
- Step 4: Fry the batter in melted butter (or the fat of your choice) over a low-to-medium heat until the mixture bubbles and the edges harden.
- Step 5: Flip carefully and fry until cooked to the desired crispness
- Step 6: Serve with the spreads of your choice (but more butter and fried strawberries are highly recommended)
Editor's note (February 23, 2023): This article was updated to reflect that specific holiday dates for some Christian denominations vary.
