by Elaine Sihera

Created on: January 27, 2010   Last Updated: January 29, 2010

Pancake Day is reknown for soft warm pancakes, dripping with butter and syrup, certainly not a dish for those trying to lose weight! It is popular in the UK, and around the world, because it provides an excuse to eat and drink as much as possible. This is because the day itself, usually celebrated on a Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday - which falls between February 2 and March 9 each year), occurs just before the start of the Christian observance of Lent. Shrove Tuesday was derived from the English word 'shrive' to 'confess all sins' and ask forgiveness before the Lenten period began.

Established in the 4th century, Lent commemorates Jesus Christ's 40 days alone in the wilderness, and is usually a period of prayer and self-denial. During these 40 days adherents are supposed to fast and abstain from certain foods, like fats and milk. Pancake Day was cleverly invented to provide an opportunity to use up all the forbidden ingredients which one could not have again until the 40 days were over. On this day, people, especially in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, make merry and have fun in view of the austere time ahead. They would take all the eggs, milk and dairy products they had and used them to make delicious pancakes. A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a pan. Caster sugar (refined sugar) is sprinkled over the top and a dash of fresh lemon juice added. Some people add golden syrup or jam and the pancake is then rolled.  The first pancake recipe was in a cookbook dated back to 1439. The first three pancakes cooked were also believed to be sacred. Each would be marked with a cross, sprinkled with salt to ward off evil spirits, and then set aside.

The Pancake Race

However, the most famous activity on Pancake Day is the pancake race in the village of Olney in Buckinghamshire, England. Started in 1445, the race emerged from the spontaneous actions of one woman. She didn't want to be late for the church service while she was cooking some pancakes and ran all the way to the church in her cooking bib, with the sizzling pancakes in a frying pan, so that they wouldn't be burnt. This started a tradition of racing to a nearby church with hot pancakes to be shared among the parishioners. Only women over 18 are allowed to participate in the race. They must have a hot pancake in the frying pan which must be flipped at least three times before the finish. The first woman to complete the flips and the race, and arrive at the church with the

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