Fat Thursday vs. Shrove Tuesday!

If you're on a diet at the moment, then today is going to be a big challenge to your willpower. All across Poland, people will be enjoying the fantastic tradition of 'Tłusty Czwartek' or 'Fat Thursday' as the English would call it. Basically a day for eating doughnuts! But before you start eating your fifth doughnut (and it's not even the afternoon yet), maybe Polish readers of this blog are unaware of 'Shrove Tuesday, or it's more popular name, "Pancake Day'!

This is a special day celebrated in many countries around the world. It is celebrated in English-speaking countries like the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada. In France, the USA and other countries, it is called 'Mardi Gras' or 'Fat Tuesday'. In others like Spain, Italy or Brazil, Shrove Tuesday is at the end of Carnival. On this day many people eat pancakes: thin, flat cakes made in a pan. In England, the day after is called 'Ash Wednesday', which is officially the beginning of 'Lent' (Wielki Post).

The word 'shrove' comes from the old Roman Catholic practice of being 'shriven' – meaning to 'confess your sins'. The shriving bell would be rung on Shrove Tuesday to call people to church to confess. Before Lent could begin, all edible temptations needed to be removed.

Another tradition on Pancake Day in the UK is pancake racing. People run in a race with a pancake in a pan. As they run, they have to toss the pancake (throw the pancake in the air and catch it in the pan) several times. In some pancake races people dress up in fancy dress costumes. The most famous pancake race takes place in a town called Olney, in the middle of England. People say that Olney has been celebrating pancake races since 1445!

Us Brits love a good pancake on Shrove Tuesday, so much so that we are estimated to use 52 million eggs. That’s over 22 million more in comparison to a normal day.

This year, 'Pancake Day' will be held on Tuesday 1st March.

So 'Happy Fat Thursday' and don't worry, the diet can start tomorrow:)

Until next time.........

#tłustyczwartek, #shrovetuesday, #pancakeday, #englishtraditions