Did you make pancakes yesterday and if so, do you know why?
In the past, Shrove Tuesday was your last chance to enjoy yourself before the start of Lent – and forty days of fasting. Families would clear out their cupboards and eat things like eggs, milk and sugar so they wouldn’t be tempted by them. Many parts of the world hold Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) festivals for the same reason.
The tradition of mixing them up for pancakes is thought to come from a pagan ritual, but others say it is a Christian tradition – with the ingredients representing four pillars of the faith: eggs for creation, flour sustenance or the staff of life, salt for wholesomeness and milk for purity.
Whatever the explanation, pancakes were top of the menu at two of our services yesterday. Residents of our St Catherine’s Nursing Home certainly enjoyed the pancakes the home’s kitchen staff made for them. Served with sugar and lemon, maple syrup or chocolate spread, they were a flipping lovely alternative to biscuits with afternoon tea!
Meanwhile at our Alan Shearer Centre, Recreation Assistant, Jan Rootham, helped members to make their own (and even to toss some successfully) before they got down to work on their new spring-themed mural for the centre.