Pancake Day February 12th 2013


      Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday is the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Shrove Tuesday is determined by Easter; its date changes annually. Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. Shrove Tuesday was once known as a "half-holiday" in England. It started at 11:00am with the ringing of a church bell. On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan whilst running.