Pancake Tuesday History, Customs & Superstitions

History of Pancake Tuesday

The word Shrove in Shrove Tuesday comes from the word “shive” which means to present oneself for confession, penance, and absolution – and that’s exactly what the holiday used to be about. Christians around the world would attend confession and repent their sins before the beginning of Lent.

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As Catholics were forbidden to eat eggs, flour, or milk during Lent many families used up the ingredients they had in their kitchen by cooking pancakes and thus pancakes and Shrove Tuesday became a yearly tradition.

Churches would even ring their “Pancake Bell” to call people to confession!

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Pancake Tuesday Customs & Superstitions

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Pancake Races

The tradition of Pancake Races in the UK is believed to have been inspired by a woman back in 1445. While make the family pancakes a woman heard the shriving bell and ran to church in her apron still clutching her frying pan.

Now every year Pancake Races are held where participants (usually dressed in an apron) flip pancakes with their frying pans while racing to be the first to cross the finish line!

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Lent Crocking

Similar to trick or treating in October, on Shrove Tuesday kids would go door to door asking for pancakes. Houses that did not give pancakes would then have broken crockery at their door!

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Hot Cross Buns

Did you know the famous nursery rhyme has its roots in Shrove Tuesday? Back in the day the first three pancakes made were considered sacred and put aside. These pancakes would then be marked with a cross and sprinkled with salt to ward off evil spirits!

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Marriage Superstitions

In Ireland many girls were given an afternoon off on Shrove Tuesday to go home and make their pancake batter. The eldest unmarried girl would then toss the first pancake – if she was successful then it meant she would be married within the year. If only it was still that easy!

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Skellig Night

As Catholics can not be married during Lent, the months leading up to Ash Wednesday were usually full of weddings and couples getting together. In traditional Irish banter, when sunset rolled around on Shrove Tuesday crowds down in Cork and Kerry would drag their single friends out of their houses to be slagged for still being single – often chanting “Go to the Skelligs”. Back then the Skellig Islands were still ran under the old calendar meaning that the singletons would still have time to get married before Ash Wednesday their time.?

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