Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) History

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, encourages self-examination, reflection on wrongdoings, and taking corrective action, which essentially aids the spirit's preparation for Lent's rigours. Pancakes became the traditional food of this day due to the need to use up eggs, butter, and fats before embracing the fasting period. First recorded in the 16th century, Shrove Tuesday finds its roots in the old custom of Christians confessing their sins (being 'shriven') before Lent. However, it's the aspect of pancakes that has made the day especially beloved in the UK. The Pancake Bell, an old tradition that signifies the start of the pancake race, is still rung in some English towns. This race itself is thought to originate from 1445, when a woman in Buckinghamshire reportedly raced to church while still tossing her pancake.

Observing Shrove Tuesday in the UK usually involves making and consuming pancakes. Traditional recipes feature a simple batter of eggs, flour, and milk, often served with sugar and lemon, but variations are extensive. Pancake races continue to be popular in communities around the country, involving competitors flipping pancakes as they rush towards the finish line. It's critical to note that Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so its occurrence varies from year to year, falling between 3rd February and 9th March.

Top 10 Facts for 2026 Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) in the UK

• In the United Kingdom, Shrove Tuesday is widely celebrated with a variety of ancient and quirky traditions that go beyond simply enjoying a stack of pancakes.
  
  The Olney Pancake Race is one of the oldest and most famous traditions in the country, dating back to 1445 and allegedly originating when a local housewife, hearing the Shriving Bell while cooking, ran to church still clutching her frying pan and flipping the pancake to keep it from burning.
• Residents of Olney, Buckinghamshire, still compete in this world-renowned dash to the church door, and since 1950, they have held an international competition against the residents of Liberal, Kansas, to see which town can record the fastest time.
• At the historic Westminster School in London, a unique event known as The Greaze takes place, where the school cook tosses a horsehair-reinforced pancake over a five-metre-high bar for a crowd of pupils to fight over, with the student who emerges with the largest piece being awarded a gold sovereign by the Dean of Westminster.
• The Parliamentary Pancake Race is a high-profile charity event held in Victoria Tower Gardens that pits teams of MPs, Lords, and members of the press against each other in a relay race to raise money for the brain injury charity Rehab.
• For more than 900 years, the town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire has hosted the Royal Shrovetide Football Match, a "bonkers" two-day game played across the entire town with thousands of participants, few rules, and goals situated three miles apart.
• In the seaside town of Scarborough, a distinct tradition known as skipping occurs on the promenade, where long ropes are stretched across the road for hundreds of people to skip together.
• On average, people in the UK consume two pancakes each on this day, leading to a national consumption of approximately 117 million pancakes and a massive 52 million eggs, which is 22 million more than a standard day.
• The world record for the largest pancake ever made was set in Rochdale in 1994, where a massive batter was cooked into a pancake measuring 15 metres in diameter and weighing three tonnes, containing an estimated two million calories.
• The practice of flipping pancakes is centuries old and was even referenced in the 1619 creative work Pasquil's Palin, which noted that "every man and maide doe take their turne" to toss them up so they do not burn.
• The name "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the Old English word shrive, meaning to confess sins and receive absolution, which historically occurred when the church bells rang to summon the faithful before the start of Lent.

In the News and Trending in the UK for Shrove Tuesday

Top things to do in the UK for Shrove Tuesday

• Eat pancakes! Catholics and other Christians use Shrove Tuesday to get rid of all sugar, fats and eggs in the house by making pancakes, which not only reduces waste but also temptation.
• Decide what you will sacrifice for Lent. If you are not Christian or don’t observe Lent, then consider refraining from a habit such as smoking, eating junk food or buying fast food.
• Pancake Racing: One of the oldest and most popular traditions is the Pancake Race. Towns across the UK hold Pancake Day races, where participants run while flipping a pancake in a frying pan. The most famous is in Olney, Buckinghamshire, which has been held annually since 1445.
• Read a book such as:
  Feasting with the Saints: Holy Day Celebrations, Recipes, and Traditions from around the World - by Sarah E. Hinds