Folklore: Shrove Tuesday & Pancake Day Customs

Today is Pancake Day, celebrated in England on Shrove Tuesday, which is the day before the Christian priod of Lent. The idea was that people would have a bit of fun and enjoy fat, eggs and dairy products, which they weren’t supposed to eat in the 40-days of abstinence before Easter.

It raises the perennial question among pagans as to whether they should celebrate anything that hints of Christianity. My personal view is that pancakes are delicious, you don’t actually have to go to a church to have them, and most of the folkloric customs around Pancake Day are secular rather than religious.

In London, where I live, pancake races are an annual tradition. Here are two that you can go to watch:

• The Inter-Livery Pancake Races in Guildhall Yard is a contest organised by London guilds including the Poulters, Gunmakers, and Fruiterers. It starts at noon and proceeds got to charity. Details: www.thecityofldn.com/event/inter-livery-pancake-day-race/
• Greenwich Market Pancake Races, hosted by a Pearly Queen, are held in aid of Greenwich and Bexley Community Hospice. This also starts at noon. Tickets are free, but you have to reserve a place. https://greenwichmarket.london/events/detail/pancake-race/

Football matches are a tradtional part of Shrove Tuesday activities in parts of England. The Alnwick Shrovetide football match, at Alnwick in Northumberland, is played between the residents of the two parishes of Alnwick in the pastures below Alnwick Castle. Hundreds of people take part in this free-for-all scrum with few rules except to get the ball away from the opposing side. This custom dates back to at least the 18th century, possibly earlier.

Magic, Divination and Pagan Festivals

If you want a little magic today, I’ve blogged in the past that you should eat pancakes to be wealthy. I’ve also written about how you can use a pancake for scrying!

It’s also worth notiing that in some countries there are remnants of ancient pagan celebrations at this time of year. The festival of Maslenitsa, which takes place in many Eastern Slavic countries, is called Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe Week or Cheese Week in Ukraine. The festival takes place in the last week before Great Lent in the Orthodox calender, but is believed to have origins that date back to pre-Christian pagan times and marked the end of winter. Pancakes are, of course, round like the sun. 

Here’s a link to a Ukranian recipes site with more about the traditions: https://ukrainian-recipes.com/traditional-celebrations-of-cheese-week-in-ukraine-why-pancakes-are-the-symbol-of-masliana.html

You can find out more about annual folklore, traditions, and seasonal magic in my book Pagan Portals – Rounding the Wheel of the Year, published by Moon Books.

Other Previous related Posts

https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/eat-drink-and-be-merry-for-tomorrow-we.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/lent-and-clutter-clearing-choices.html
https://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/03/march-1-pancake-day-st-davids-day-crepe.html

To read more posts like this visit A Bad Witch’s Blog at www.badwitch.co.uk