Why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and best recipes to try

The most indulgent day of the year is here once again. No, we’re not talking about Christmas, or Easter – it’s Pancake Day. The one date in the calendar when you can absolutely eat the same dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner – without guilt, without shame.

Seasoned flippers have been practising, supermarkets have been stocking up on sauces and spreads for alternative toppings, and now the time is finally here to show off your skills.

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So, gather your ingredients, grease your pan and don your apron. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s traditional feast day, from why it’s celebrated to how to make pancakes as light as clouds – whether you favour a thin British classic or a fluffy American stack. And if you’re after the simplest batter and a fail-safe cooking method, try Mary Berry’s easy pancake recipe for Shrove Tuesday.

Pancake Day has been celebrated in Britain for centuries as the feast day before Ash Wednesday, when the fasting season begins.

Historically, Anglo-Saxon Christians would go to confession on Shrove Tuesday to be absolved of their sins, before indulging in rich fat-based foods to use up ingredients ahead of Lent.

However, it is believed that the Christian Pancake Day was in fact borrowed from an old pagan festival to welcome the arrival of spring. Circular, hot pancakes were seen to symbolise the sun, providing those who ate them with the sun’s power and strength.

Shrove Tuesday originates from the Old English word “shrive”, which means to give absolution once hearing confession, usually by a priest. The day marks the end of Pre-Lenten Season, also known as Shrovetide.

This year, Shrove Tuesday falls on February 17th, but the exact date of Pancake Day changes year on year as it is determined by when Easter falls – which can also differ annually due to the spring equinox.

Shrove Tuesday is always celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which takes place 40 days before Easter to represent Jesus’ 40 days spent fasting in the desert.

The all-important question. Many a family argument has been sparked due to over-confident flips and splattered batter, resulting in tears, tantrums and reluctant clean-ups. So, what is the secret to a slick flick of the wrist?

• Use a steel or cast-iron pan (not a non-stick one), greased with a little oil
• If the edges of the pancake don’t come away from the sides of the pan when you give it a gentle shake, it’s not ready to be flipped
• Be confident, and use the same action as you would when tossing a stir-fry