Happy Pancake Day!

Today, while all of you back in the U.S. celebrate Mardi Gras and wait for the results of "Super Tuesday," everyone in the UK is celebrating Pancake Day. Though this delicious holiday is more properly called “Shrove Tuesday” and is observed as a day of penance day before Lent begins, it has become associated with pancakes as people, wanting to use up their rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar before the season of fasting, began to mix them all together to create pancakes and other indulgent foods. Now Pancake Day is eagerly awaited and celebrated by many. First off, everyone has to make and eat pancakes on this day. However, pancakes here are not the fluffy breakfast delicacies we might enjoy back home, but instead are much thinner and crepe like. Depending on your preferences, they can be prepared standard (with lemon and sugar), savory, or with other sweet toppings like syrup, fruit, and ice cream. Not only do people eat pancakes on this day, but they also play with them. Across the country there are different games and contests going on, such as pancake races and the “Pancake Greaze” (which I am not totally sure what it’s all about other than making a gigantic pancake and throwing it into the air). People are also tuned into big football (soccer) games that air on this day.

It was quite exciting to partake in a new holiday. One of the eateries on campus was serving pancakes all day so some friends and I were sure to hit that up and later, several of my flatmates made more pancakes. Unfortunately there were no pancake races taking places in Norwich. I think I’ll have to bring this holiday back home because unless you are in New Orleans, there is nothing exciting about Mardi Gras and besides, what’s wrong with an excuse to eat lots of pancakes?