PANCAKE TUESDAY

Pancake Tuesday, is a little-known holiday with a rich history. It tends to take a back seat to its more popular, eccentric twin, Mardi Gras. It is also known as Shrove Tuesday. You can read all the details in our FULL BLOG POST.

The Date varies from year to year because it is essentially based on Easter, which also varies. 

First, let’s begin by making it clear that Pancake Tuesday and Mardi Gras are the same day – the Tuesday before Lent begins.

Pancake Tuesday being the day before Lent begins (Ash Wednesday) is significant because during Lent it was (and still is) common for Christians to give up something they like as a sacrifice or form of penance.

Lent is also a time in which the faithful enter a period of fasting and abstinence. In ancient times the fast was much more involved than it is today. Because much less food will be eaten during Lent, it was common for families to use up their stores of food before Lent, essentially feasting so the food would not be wasted.

In ancient times Christians abstained from all food items that came from animals. The need to use up butter, eggs, cheese, & fat is what led to the name “Fat Tuesday” – or Mardi Gras.

Many times, the main foods on hand were flour, eggs, and milk. When you put these ingredients together you get PANCAKES- and this is how Shrove Tuesday became known as Pancake Tuesday! Families were often feasting on pancakes to use up their food stores. As time has evolved, having pancakes has simply become a tradition handed down generation after generation.

You can learn much more about Shrove Tuesday With Our Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday Activity Pack

Can’t celebrate this year – Mark your calendar & save this holiday for next year!

Return to main calendar HERE