Pancakes anyone?

One of the most scrumptious days of the year is upon us! Ever since I was little this day was so much fun, you all know what I’m talking about! Its pancake day of course… I don’t think I have actually ever met anyone who has said they don’t love a good fluffy pancake, whether you like It smothered in chocolate and bananas, blueberries, strawberries and yoghurt, with raisins or just plain with sugar and a good squeeze of lemon juice they are all delicious! You can definitely see why the entire British population are crazy about pancake day, I always get myself into a bit of a panic about what I’m actually going to have on mine, there’s so much choice, and the decision is impossible!

When I was younger I would make pancakes with my Gran and we would make so many! Always half with currents and half plain with lemon and sugar, the memories of trying to flip them, smoking out the entire kitchen, laughing our heads off and just making a big old mess is something that gives me wonderful warming feelings of nostalgia every year whilst whipping them up. Grans favourites were the ones with the currents in them, she would set us up a little station with the sugar, the lemon juice and the rolling plate! Where we would roll them up like a sausage, then stack them up high on a big plate on a tray, next to the pot of tea we would be having with them, by the end of it we all smelled of grease, had sticky hands and the whole kitchen was covered in sugar, currents and splashes of oil, me and my brother loved making them with her and watching her flip them like a pro! My gran was the best, and these memories dance joyfully in my mind reminding me of her and how much love we all shared, its the memories you get to keep, that’s why these celebrations are so important and so special.

So where did it all begin?

Shrove Tuesday is the religious name for our beloved pancake day, the Christian holiday marks the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, this is a time where people would abstain from eating indulgent foods for 40 days to commemorate the days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. 

The word ‘Shrove’ comes from the old Roman catholic term ‘Shriven’ meaning to confess ones sins, the shriving bell would be rang on Shrove Tuesday to call people to church to confess their sins.

Before Lent would begin on the Wednesday (Ash Wednesday), all indulgent foods would need to be used up, such as eggs, dairy and meats, the best way to use up some of these ingredients would be to make big batches of pancakes or fritters. With all of this food on offer shrove Tuesday was a day of festivities before a long 40 days of abstinence. 

On Shrove Tuesday children would go ‘Shroving’ knocking on the doors of their neighbours singing –

‘We be come a-shroving,

For a piece of pancake, 

Or a bite of bacon,

Or a little truckle of cheese,

Of your own making’

Much like Christmas where children go carol singing in exchange for figgy pudding or halloween where children go trick or treating for sweets and apples, it seems yet again we have found another holiday where going door to door in hope for sweet treats was tradition. Unlike Christmas and halloween it seems that this particular door to door tradition hasn’t survived the ages, but I do love the idea of sharing food and joy with your neighbours through the festivities, maybe we should try to revive this tradition and start throwing pancake parties with our neighbours.

Theres one thing I think we can all admit to and thats eating a few too many pancakes on pancake day! I guess this makes it easier to give something up for Lent the very next day. The most common things I hear people giving up for Lent are chocolate (top spot for a reason!) alcohol, caffeine, sugar, salt or  takeaways, I guess all the things that we tend too over indulge on. Although It does prove a lot harder than you think, 40 days is a good stretch of time when trying not to eat something you love! 

I do like to participate in Lent even though Im not religious, just as I do Christmas and other religious celebrations, we have grown up with these traditions and they are part of my life even if the original reasoning for the celebration isn’t something I connect with,  I enjoy the challenge of testing myself, I have no idea what I am going to give up this year, but I’m pretty sure it should be caffeine, my consumption has been rapidly increasing for months and I know it will be a very hard to give it up! 

What are your pancake day plans? I love melted chocolate and ice-cream with my pancake, yum! Are you considering giving anything up for Lent? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you… until then have a deliciously happy pancake day and an even sweeter week.