As we all look forward to consuming large quantities of pancakes, not many people step back to think about the meaning of Shrove Tuesday.
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. 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 absolved from their sins.
Most people give up their favourite treats for Lent, like chocolate, crisps and carb-loaded fast food - and more traditional celebrators fast from certain meats for the 40 days instead.
