PANCAKE DAY Origins Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). It was the last opportunity to use eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. (taken
from www.pancakeday.com.au)
Pancake races In
the UK, pancake races also form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday
celebrations - an opportunity for large numbers of people to race down
the streets tossing pancakes. (adapted
from http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_pancakeday.shtml) The Olney Pancake Race, dating back more than five hundred years, is held on Shrove Tuesday. The course is 415 yards long and is run from the Market Place to the Church at 11.55 a.m. Participants, housewives or young ladies of the town, must have lived in Olney for at least 3 months and be at least 18 years old. Competitors must wear the traditional costume of a housewife, including a skirt, apron and head covering. They must of course carry a frying pan containing a pancake. The winner, on crossing the line, must toss her pancake and she is then greeted by the verger with the traditional kiss of peace. The race is immediately followed by a Shriving service in the Parish Church when the official Olney and Liberal prizes are presented. 2005's Pancake Race was won by Andrea Rawlings
in 68 seconds
Olney
Pancake Race
Delicious, isn't it ? ACTIVITY
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