It's the time of year again where people across the world gather ingredients of eggs, milk and flour to create the familiar delicious treat. Pancake day, Mardi Gras, Fat or Shrove Tuesday. The day has many names and is celebrated in many different ways worldwide.
In countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Poland, the day is not celebrated with pancakes at all but rather other confectionary including sweets, buns or doughnuts.
Some places celebrate with savoury food instead, including Finland and Estonia who have a meal of pea soup and also Spain who celebrate the day, of which they call 'dia de la tortilla', with omelettes.
Perhaps the most famous example of Shrove Tuesday celebrations are the Mardi Gras parades that take place in New Orleans in Southern Louisiana, USA. This event takes place two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, with the celebrations coming to an end on Ash Wednesday. During this time, parades are held complete with extravagantly dressed people and floats taking the same route each year of which small gifts such as bead necklaces are thrown into the spectating crowds.
In the UK, it is celebrated on the Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday alone and celebrations take place in the form of people making and eating pancakes on the day.
Locally, people have been using the day to raise charitable funds. For example, the Ursuline Academy Ilford, who held a Pancake Day Sale in which pancakes were sold for 50p each and all proceeds were to be donated to the charity CAFOD.
"I always enjoy pancake day," said Zainab Khan (17) from the Ursuline Academy Ilford. "It's one of my favourite days of the year because I love pancakes!"
The nation's apparent favourite toppings were revealed recently in a survey, among the top three included lemon juice and sugar, maple syrup and chocolate spread.
"I always go for lemon juice and sugar on my pancakes," said Cairenn (14) also from the Ursuline Academy Ilford. "Sometimes I have chocolate spread but lemon juice and sugar will always be the winning topping in my eyes."
Pancake day is a fun day for many, however it is also viewed as an important day by those who are religious as they are preparing for the next day that is Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. The time in which those of the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Lutheran churches are encouraged to give up a luxury (such as chocolate) for a period of forty days and forty nights which is the period of time that leads up to Easter.
Niamh Mullen, Ursuline Academy Ilford
