Pancake Tuesday Pancakes

The story

Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent, is called Pancake Tuesday in Ireland, and in 2027 it falls on February 9, the day before Ash Wednesday. The English name comes from the old word shrive, to confess one's sins before the fast. Lent once ruled out eggs, butter and milk, so households used them up in a batter of flour, eggs and milk. Irish pancakes are thin and wide, closer to French crêpes than to American stacks, and families cook and eat them together at home in the evening. In an old Irish custom, girls were given an afternoon off to make their batter, and the eldest unmarried girl tossed the first pancake: if she caught it in the pan, she would marry within the year. The day is still widely kept. A 2017 survey by Empathy Research for the sugar brand Siúcra estimated that more than 12 million pancakes are eaten in Ireland on Shrove Tuesday, with lemon and sugar the favorite topping at 38 percent, ahead of maple syrup and chocolate spread. Make the batter in the morning and refrigerate it, then cook the pancakes in one pan and hand them out as they come off the heat.