A day when most Scots will tuck into a big plate of pancakes (or two), the date of Shrove Tuesday changes every year.
Traditionally the timing of this movable festival day is dictated by the arrival of Lent (and Ash Wednesday) in Christian churches.
Always falling in February or March, it heralds the arrival of spring and falls exactly six weeks before Easter is celebrated.
When is Pancake Day this year?
In 2021, Shrove Tuesday (or Fastern’s E’en as it was sometimes known in Scotland) will fall on February 16, the day before Ash Wednesday on February 17.
Why Do We have Pancake Day?
As mentioned above, Shrove Tuesday marks the last day of freedom before Lent, which would have been a 40-day period of abstinence before the celebration of Easter.
A good excuse to use up any sugar, eggs, milk and butter left lingering in your cupboards, meaning eating them would help to prepare for the fasting season ahead.
It seems that this practice has persisted and even become popular in modern times because it was often seen as a social affair with such an easy recipe making it possible for anyone to get involved.
Why Pancakes?
No one is really sure why pancakes were so widespread on this day as Scots would have probably made other items such as Crumpets and bannocks but perhaps it is the fact that pancakes are so easy to make and adaptable that has made them so popular.
One other theory is that each ingredient used in pancake making may have represented one of the 'four pillars of the Christian faith'.
Eggs for creation, flour as sustenance or the staff of life, salt for wholesomeness and milk for purity.
How is Pancake Tuesday celebrated elsewhere around the world?
Celebrated in many countries it is known as “Mardi Gras” or “Fat Tuesday” in France and parts of the US and is a day of celebration, while in other countries they eat different treats.
In Germany (their day is called Fastnacht) they eat doughnuts, in the Netherlands they have waffles (as well as pancakes), and in Russia they eat lots of blinys.
A fun Pancake recipe to get you started
What you'll need:
200g/7oz plain flour
350-400ml/12-14fl oz milk
(or ½ milk ½ water for a a thinner, lighter pancake)
2 large eggs to be lightly whisked
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
A pinch of salt
And vegetable oil for frying your delicious pancakes (serves four)
For vegan version - replace the milk with almond milk and the eggs with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar.
How to make it:
Get a big bowl and whip all of the ingredients into a batter.
For the vegan version: mix the flour and baking powder with a little salt and sugar, then in a separate bowl mix the cider vinegar and the almond milk together before mixing all of the ingredients to make the batter.
When ready to cook, pour the desired amount on to a pan, in a pancake circle, then flip occasionally to ensure it cooks well on both sides.
Tips for cooking pancakes:
1. If you don't want to flip then this hack could really help anyone who isn't overly confident (make sure the bottom of the pan is clean before attempting this)
2. Leave your batter for as long as you can before cooking (in the fridge overnight is best if you can).
3. Wipe clean and re-oil the pan after every pancake.
4. To Flip: Make sure your pan is well oiled to help with the flipping. Before attempting to flip shake the pan from side to side a little to loosen to pancake from the pan.
5. Feel free to experiment with both the ingredients and the toppings, you'll have more fun and you'll discover what works best for you.
