Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day is something that is celebrated every year, and is something that begins the lead up to Easter.

It always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9.

Whilst people use the day as an excuse to just enjoy some pancakes, there is a religious reason for why it exists.

Why do we celebrate Pancake Day?

The day is used as a traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Bournemouth Echo: Pancakes are made just before the period of Lent begins (Canva)Pancakes are made just before the period of Lent begins (Canva)

According to Historic UK, Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confession and were “shriven” (absolved from their sins). 

In short, Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes were the perfect way of using up these ingredients.

READ MORE - McDonalds offers 99p Pancake's for Pancake Day

The traditional English pancake is very thin and is served immediately after frying, usually covered in golden syrup or lemon juice and caster sugar.

Additionally, the tradition of tossing or flipping them is also very old: “And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne.” (Pasquil’s Palin, 1619).