A fun day for people to tuck into a big plate of pancakes (or two), the date of Shrove Tuesday changes every year.
The reason for this is its traditional connection to Shrove Tuesday and the timing of this movable festival day being dictated by the arrival of Lent (and Ash Wednesday) in Christian churches.
It will usually always fall in February or March and can be used to gauge the arrival of spring and falls exactly six weeks before Easter is celebrated.
When is Pancake Day this year?
In 2022, Shrove Tuesday (or Fastern’s E’en as it was sometimes known in Scotland) will fall on March 1, the day before Ash Wednesday on March 2.
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.
Indeed in Scotland, traditional versions such as the Festy Cock – a type of oatmeal pancake – were made by Scottish monks.
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 Scottish Pancake recipe to get you started
What you'll need:
275g Self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
200 ml milk
175 ml IRN-BRU
1 pinch of salt.
How to make them:
1. Take a bowl and mix your wet ingredients - the eggs, milk and Irn-Bru. Give them a good whisk.
2. In another bowl combine your dry ingredients - the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Combine both bowls into one and mix thoroughly.
4. Put a hot pan on medium heat and add a wee bit of oil or butter.
5. Pour in mix and cook until golden brown, flipping half way through.
6. For added fizzyness, serve up with a wee glass of Irn-Bru.
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.
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