Lots of people asked about Pancake Day on the last video so I decided to do a bit of a summary as to the history and traditions behind it. A lot of the online explanations that I looked at were rubbish so I added some of my own special input ^-^. Hope you learn something cause I did - I had no idea that Mardi Gras was associated with it.
'Shrove Tuesday' is a term used in the UK, Australia and Canada which refers to the day after Shrove Monday and the day before Ash Wednesday (which is the start of Lent). The day is also known as 'Pancake Day' as it is customary for pancakes to be consumed.
In other parts of the world that are historically catholic or french-speaking, the day is known as 'Mardi Gras'.
The reason that pancakes are eaten on this day is due to the fact that Shrove Tuesday is the last day before Lent. This meant that all eggs, milk and sugar needed to be eaten beforehand and the easiest way to get rid of them was in the form of pancakes.
Pancakes eaten in these countries differ completely from those known by Americans. Pancakes in these countries tend to be slightly thicker than French crepes and are traditionally eaten with brown sugar and lemon juice though syrup is sometimes used. In the UK particularly, 'American style' pancakes are virtually non-existent.
'Yorkshire puddings' are also hugely popular in England. They are made with exactly the same ingredients as pancakes but the mix is cooked in a baking tray in the oven rather than fried in a pan. It is practically compulsory to eat them with the Sunday roast dinner - a traditional dish of Britain.
Many towns in England held traditional 'Shrove Tuesday' football matches dating back as far as the 12th century though it died out slightly in recent times with the introduction of the highway act which prevented games being played in the streets. Many rural towns however have managed to maintain the tradition to this day.
The actual word 'shrove' is the past tense of an old english verb 'shrive' which means to obtain absolution from your sins. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving (or confession) that Anglo-Saxon christians were required to do before Lent.
The period known as 'Shrovetide' is England's own equivalent of the carnival tradition that developed in Latin Europe from which we get the French 'Mardi Gras'. Other country's equivalents include Germany's Faschingsdienstag (Fat Tuesday), Sweden's Fettisdagen and Spain's 'Martes de Carnaval'.
Hey Waynooooo.......your Pancake Day is our Fat Tuesday celebrating the start of Mardi Gras....peace out.
.....oh, me again, forgot to mention it's called Fat Tuesday as it is like a "last call" before reflection and abstinence that is observed by some during the Lenten period.
Yup. Yang had a nice pancake day, they made Paella AND pancakes at their Uni apartment... yummmm... wish I had been there.
Hope you had a good pancake day as wellllll~
x
I looooove Pancakes and good ol' Yorkshire puddings. I also love your new blog, keep up the good work :D