Pancake Day 2014

photo credits: The Telegraph

Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday in Britain, is the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. 'Shrove' stems from old English word 'shrive', meaning 'confess all sins'. It is called Pancake Day because it is the day traditionally for eating pancakes as pancake recipes were a way to use up any stocks of milk, butter and eggs which were forbidden during the abstinence of Lent.

The traditional pancake is thin and crepe-like and is eaten sprinkled with sugar and a squeeze of lemon. However, serve as you like with jam, Golden Syrup, honey, chocolate spread, whatever takes your fancy. In some places pancake races are held, where participants run along tossing a pancake as they go.

photo credits: Nick Hopper
for Hemsley & Hemsley

Another name for Shrove Tuesday is Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, so called because of the tradition of eating rich food before fasting for Lent. The famous New Orleans Mardi Gras is celebrated on this day.

Here you will find a wide variety of ELT activities on Pancake Day that can be printed out and worked on with your class under the signature of Encyclopaedia Britannica, which has created a spotlight on the topic with colouring drawings, puzzles, games, crafts and even recipes and tips, so that you can cook a perfect pancake!