Why Do We Eat Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

When Pope St. Gregory prohibited all Christians from eating all non-vegetarian products, including any animal meat or products around A.D 600, it led to the emergence of Pancake day. Pope Gregory also enforced the same rule in England. So, all the people started preparing pancakes and used milk, butter, and eggs to relish the pancakes.

The day falls on a different date each year because of the moon’s cycle on which it is calculated. Also, Ash Wednesday always falls one day after Pancake day is celebrated. In 2019, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake day was celebrated on 25th February to make everyone tuck into the sweet treat. At the same time, Ash Wednesday followed it on 26th February 2019.

The duration of 40 days before Easter Sunday is known as Lent in the Christian tradition. In England and other European countries, in between this period, it has been the tradition of eating rich foods, including Pancakes on the Shrove Tuesday.

On this particular day, people abstain from other food products, especially meat, fish, and raw eggs. They just serve sweet food containing butter, milk, and eggs. The Pancakes came into the picture and started getting popular as people wanted to eat some tempting food and avoid it during the Lent duration. This made them think preparing pancakes on this day will be the best option as round pancakes symbolize the sun. (See Why Do People Throw Beads at Mardi Gras?)

‘Shrove’ is derived from the Roman Catholic practice of being ‘Shriven.’ It means ‘confessing your sins.’ People come to church to confess their sins on Shrove Tuesday and ring the bell. Only Lent is made, and all other food has to be removed from the houses. This practice is known as Shrovetide. People keep on preparing Lent before 3 Sundays of Ash Wednesday and is known as Septuagesima. (See Why is Mardi Gras Called Fat Tuesday?)