On March 5 this year, occupants of countries all around the world will do away with their healthy eating schemes and joyless “summer body” diets to enjoy an annual tradition that’s been passionately upheld for centuries. This event is, of course, Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the official beginning of Lent. Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras, is made special in Ireland by the customary consumption of a particularly delightful treat: pancakes! But to where and to whom does this important feast owe its origins? We’re diving deep into Ireland’s Pancake Tuesday history — and giving you a taste of what delicious treats are whipped up in other countries by way of celebration, too!

WHAT IS SHROVE TUESDAY?

Shrove Tuesday falls on the last day of Shrovetide, the pre-Lenten season of the ancient western Christian liturgical calendar. In contrast to Lent, Shrovetide is considered a time of permissible merrymaking and indulgence; an opportunity ripe for the expunging of worldly vices and cravings so that one can commit themselves fully to the coming weeks of spiritual penitence. Naturally, food is an integral part of this period, with Christians being encouraged to eat and drink — often to excess — in order to reduce their likelihood of breaking their upcoming Lenten fast.

Lent, of course, is considered a time that’s as solemn as Shrovetide is considered jovial. Its purpose is to prepare the Christian community for Easter (a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ) through copious prayer, penance for sins, and self-denial. The giving up of luxurious food serves to replicate the fast that Jesus undertook when he spent 40 days praying in the desert. Many believe that in doing this, they bring themselves closer to God.

As it precedes the beginning of Lent, Shrove Tuesday represents for many an opportunity to examine their hearts and minds (as well as treat their bellies!). In fact, the term “shrove” is actually a variant of shrive, an old term similar to “absolve.” Scholar Darren Provine succinctly calls it a time for “considering what wrongs [we] need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth [we] especially need to ask God’s help in dealing with.” These internal observations are kept closely in mind as Shrove Tuesday rolls into Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lenten fasting, prayer, and repentance.

THE ORIGINS OF SHROVE TUESDAY

Thin, slightly savory pancakes are a popular dish in Ireland, stemming from a tradition to use decadent foods like butter before a period of restraint during Lent. (Rainbow Chaser / Wikimedia Commons)

But, understanding the position of Shrove Tuesday in the Christian springtime lineup is one thing; looking at the development of the day itself is quite another! The observation of this holy day has been recorded for centuries, with its earliest mention coming from “Ecclesiastical Institutes,” a piece written by the English abbot Ælfric of Eynsham some time around 1000 A.D. It read: “In the week immediately before Lent, everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds, and the confessor shall so shrive him, as he may then hear by his deeds what he is to do [in the way of penance].”

By the Middle Ages, Shrovetide had become a more extended celebration, lasting right up until the hours before Lent began. This is when the popularity of pancakes as the season’s signature dish began to rise: as they were made from ingredients like eggs and butter, which were then considered high luxuries, they served as the perfect embodiment of the comfort and plenty that would be avoided over the coming weeks. Other foods that fit the symbolic bill were fasnachts, a kind of fried donut native to Germany, and pączkis, a soft, filled pastry native to Poland. The tradition of eating these kinds of foods on Shrove Tuesday began to become so entrenched that, in Buckinghamshire, England, the ringing of church bells was associated not only with reminding the locals to attend confession before Lent, but signifying that was time to start making their pancakes!

While the day is still thought of as “Shrove Tuesday” by many in Ireland, more common as of late is the name “Pancake Tuesday,” or simply “Pancake Day.” In many households, pancakes will comprise a complete meal — breakfast being the traditional choice, of course, though some families (that of this writer included) prefer to take them in place of dinner! Unlike the thick, fluffy pancakes of the United States, Irish pancakes are traditionally made thinner and lighter, their consistency almost crepe-like. Instead of the dark maple syrup adored by so many over the pond, the preferred topping is usually a drizzle of salted butter, honey, or squeeze of lemon, along with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.

SHROVE TUESDAY TRADITIONS IN IRELAND

In Ireland and Great Britain, people engage in pancake races to celebrate the end of Shrovetide. (Robin Myerscough / Flickr)

Shrove Tuesday traditions in Ireland are many and varied, with some having survived to the present day in a more complete state than others. Once upon a time, the term “shroving” was used to describe the antics of children, who ran around their town or village, singing songs and reciting poetry in exchange for money, sweets, or, of course, pancakes. This is still practised much more frequently than “Lent crocking,” a custom that saw the children go door to door in askance of these sweet treats. If they were turned away empty-handed, or if no one answered their knocking at all, they would throw broken crockery at the offending residence. (A thoroughly unpleasant version of spring cleaning if there ever was one!)

Over time, an array of rather superstitious Pancake Tuesday traditions also made themselves known in Ireland. At once time, the belief was commonly held that the first three pancakes produced in a home were sacred, and represented the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of these creations was marked with a cross via knife or fork, sprinkled with salt to keep evil entities at bay, and set aside, to be left uneaten as a way of protecting the household in the coming Lenten season.

Another common belief related to the romantic luck of young women for the rest of the year. Marriages were outlawed during the month of Lent, making it the prerogative of Ireland’s matchmakers to lock down new engagements before Shrovetide had come to an end. This sense of urgency begot the tradition in which the young women of the house were always called upon to flip the first pancake of the year; if their flipping technique was satisfactory and resulted in well-shaped, nicely browned pancakes, their chances of finding a husband before the year’s end were seen as good. If their pancakes ended as a battery mess on the kitchen floor, spinsterhood beckoned!

Interestingly, however, the making of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday was one of the few instances in which both Irish men and women would attend to kitchen duties. Contests were held to see who could flip their pancake the highest, and still common today are “pancake races,” a tradition which originally began in 1445 England, when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire was so engrossed in preparing a pancake feast for her family that she didn’t hear the church bells ringing to signify the start of the day’s mass. Once the sound came to her attention, however, she ran from her home to the church, pan still in hand, flipping her pancake to prevent it from burning. Nowadays, many countries all over the world hold pancake races, with contestants running between two points, flipping a pancake in a pan all the while. Often, Irish schools even make a point of pulling students out of class to indulge in this fun game.

SHROVE TUESDAY AROUND THE WORLD

Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. (Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division via Flickr)

Pancakes are not the only treat with which Shrove Tuesday is celebrated on a global scale. While the food item of choice varies from place to place, the common factor to note here is a unifying richness, important for symbolizing one final dietary splurge before the abstinence of Lent. In Iceland, for example, the day is colorfully referred to as Sprengidagur, which means “Bursting Day,” and involves an emphasis on savory foods, like salted meat and peas, instead of sugar-laden snacks. However, on the whole, the world seems to fall on the side of sweetness on Shrove Tuesday: in Sweden, people salivate over a sweet roll known as a selma; Polish communities tuck into sweet pastry crisps nicknamed “angel wings”; and the people of Estonia add whipped cream to just about any dish imaginable!

Outside of foodie delights (though never by far), the most famous of the pre-Lenten Shrovetide events is certainly the Brazilian Carnival, which takes place each year in Rio de Janeiro. This six-day party allows participants to take a walk on the wild side before they buckle up for Lent, enjoying parades, street dances, traditional costumes, and plenty of delicacies to eat and drink, too.

In New Orleans, Shrove Tuesday is referred to as Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday,” and makes up the final 24 hours of a greater Mardi Gras season. The celebration first came to New Orleans in 1837, and has since been responsible for much of the city’s thriving tourist industry and hard-partying reputation. Mardi Gras revellers, too, have their own culinary must-have for Fat Tuesday: the originally-French king cake, a sweet brioche pastry loaded with icing sugar and Mardi Gras-colored sugar in purple, green, and gold. Traditionally, a tiny plastic or porcelain baby (representing the child Jesus) is tucked away in the folds of the cake. Whoever finds it is said to be due a great amount of luck in the coming year — and to be responsible for buying the group’s king cake next time around!

Religious or atheistic, sweet-toothed or clean eating, there’s no one who can deny that Shrove Tuesday is a unique holiday with offshoot celebrations that have shaped much of the world’s culture as we know it. In Ireland and abroad, this day is observed by countless people each year… though call us biased, but we can’t help but feel sorry for those who’ve never marked it by sinking their teeth into a traditional Irish pancake. If you’ve never been lucky enough to sample one, now is your chance — get searching for the right recipe, have fun flipping, and enjoy! Below is one of our favorites.

Odlums Traditional Pancake Recipe

What you need:

• 125g/4oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Egg
• 300ml/½pt Milk
• Oil for frying

How to:

1. Sieve flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour, break in the egg and add about a third of the milk. Beat well, gradually pouring in the rest of the milk and drawing in the flour to make a smooth batter.
3. Pour batter into a jug and allow to stand for about 30 minutes.
4. Brush a pancake pan or frying pan with oil. When the pan is hot, give the batter a stir before pouring a thin layer onto the pan.
5. Fry until golden brown. Turn and fry the other side until brown also.
6. Stack pancakes on a large plate, as they are cooked.
7. Fill with fresh fruit and drizzle with maple syrup, or choose one of our other delicious sweet or savoury fillings below. Enjoy!

Tasty Filling Suggestions

• Dust with Shamrock Golden Caster Sugar, add a squeeze of lemon juice, roll up and serve
• Drizzle with Rowse Honey and top with Shamrock Pecan Nuts or Chopped Almonds
• Fresh fruit served with natural yoghurt and whipped cream
• Stewed apples, flavoured with cinnamon and a dollop of fresh cream
• Top with chocolate spread or Shamrock Chocolate Chips and a scoop of ice cream
• Diced chicken with salsa sauce
• Cottage cheese and sliced pineapple
• Poached egg and Hollandaise sauce