16 Recipes for the Ultimate Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper (2024)

FAQs

What is the traditional Shrove Tuesday dinner? ›

Thus Shrove Tuesday was named after the custom of Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and parts of the Commonwealth, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday, as it became a traditional custom to eat pancakes as a meal.

For centuries, the consumption of pancakes has widely been regarded a popular way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, which takes place the day before Ash Wednesday in preparation for Lent.

The tradition of holding a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper has its roots in using up the rich milk, butter, and eggs that Catholic teachings historically discouraged during the 40 days of Lent.

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 “shriven” (absolved from their sins).

In Sweden, Shrove Tuesday is called 'Fettisdagen' – aptly named as it literally translates as 'Fat Tuesday'! No hiding the truth with the Swedes! The main treat of choice is called a ' Semla ' (or 'Semlor' if you want more than one!) – a gorgeously rich cardamom-spiced bun cut in half and filled with whipped cream.

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Day, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Join Food Historian Sam Bilton as she explores the history of the celebration, and details an 18th century recipe for a pancake pie you can try making at home – the ultimate Shrove Tuesday treat!

Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. In the old days there were many foods that Christians would not eat during Lent: such as meat and fish, fats, eggs, and milky foods.

Italy - Martedi Grasso

Traditionally the sweet foods include Chiacchere, which means “gossip” or “rumours”. These are strips of fried dough that are flavoured with lemon and sugar. Cannoli, which are tube-shaped fried pastries that are filled with cream, and Migliaccio which is a lemon and ricotta cake.

Fat Tuesday is also called Shrove Tuesday. According to the Diocese of Little Rock, Shrove Tuesday comes from the term “to shrive,” meaning “to confess,” or to hear confessions–a way to prepare our hearts for the beginning of Lent dating back to the Middle Ages.

Traditionally, Christians would spend this time praying and fasting, which meant not eating a range of foods including meat, eggs, fats and milk. The word 'shrove' comes from a Roman Catholic practice – to 'shrive' meant going to confess your sins and being absolved by a priest.

What do you eat for dinner on Pancake Day? ›

Pancakes aren't just for breakfast anymore with our savoury dinner recipes. Make a hearty supper with our recipe ideas from curry-inspired paneer-stuffed pancakes to a comforting ricotta and spinach traybake. Or stick to more classic brunch flavours with eggs benedict and smoked salmon.

Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day is the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), observed in many Christian countries through participating in confession and absolution, the ritual burning of the previous year's Holy Week palms, finalising one's Lenten sacrifice, as well as eating pancakes and ...

Lasting 40 days, Christians will commonly fast or give something up for Lent. Therefore, being the day before Lent begins, Shrove Tuesday is a day for preparation when people would indulge, commonly eating pancakes and other sweet treats before fasting, which is why it has become known to some as Pancake Day.

So Shrove Tuesday is the day when people went to confession to prepare themselves for Lent, which begins on the following day, Ash Wednesday. So “what is Lent?” you may ask. Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter, the date of Jesus' death.

Lent is not mentioned in the Bible, but rather started in the fourth century AD. Even though there is no explicit evidence of Lent in Scripture, many believers have tried to argue that Lent is based on Jesus' temptation in the desert for 40 days. The 40 days before Easter is a preparation time known as Lent.

Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat (some Christians continue to do so, in fact). Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!

Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? It was the last chance for a spot of indulgence before 40 days of fasting, and also an opportunity to use up food that couldn't be eaten during Lent. This included eggs, fat and milk, which were made into pancakes and eaten on that day.