Today is Ash Wednesday. In the Western Christian Calendar it the first day of Lent.
That’s all background.
Now to the important details.
Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday, which is frequently referred to as Pancake Day (endearingly, I’m sure). It’s a day when religious people (who may or may not fast during Lent) indulge in feasting and merry-making.
Why the compulsory intake of pancakes, you ask. Traditionally, eggs were among the forbidden foods of the Lent season, so one way to use them up was to cook pancakes. Long live tradition!
Let me enrich your life with a bit of a history lesson on the strange and wonderful customs associated with Shrove Tuesday.
In Britain, Shrove Tuesday was appropriately called 'goodies day' and the bell that called people to church was known as the pancake bell. There is an annual pancake race held in the town of Olney in England, which apparently started in 1445 when a housewife who was late cooking her pancakes heard the church bell and ran to church, and like a dedicated housewife, took her griddle and batter along with her.
She started a tradition, the Olney pancake race involves women who must run from the town square to the church, tossing a pancake in their pan at least three times along the route.
In Sweden the day is known as Fat Tuesday. The dish of the day is the Fat Tuesday bun which is filled with almond paste and whipped cream and served floating in a bowl of hot milk. It does not seem like the Swedish would have a low-fat version of this dish!
In Belgium, children sing Easter carols, for which they are rewarded with nuts, apples and strips of bacon (which should traditionally be cooked outdoors on long willow sticks).
I think any religious customs have an amazing ability to bring people together, and its usually because of food! I'm off, this blog posting is making my mouth water! *Looking forward to my Easter Hot Cross Buns*
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