Why do we celebrate Pancake Day?

A day to eat pancakes?! If you haven’t ever heard of Pancake Day, don’t despair, we are here to give you all the details about this most glorious day in which you must eat pancakes.

Join us as we take a look at the origin of this tradition and share two classic pancake recipes in case you want to try your hand at making some to enjoy.

Pancake Day, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional day to feast and indulge before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of Lent.

Pictured: trainee choristers of Salisbury Cathedral Choir, flip pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday outside the West Front of the 13th century Cathedral in Salisbury, England.

Christians have traditionally fasted during Lent, which is the period of 40 days leading up to Easter. Even Obama enjoys pancake day.

On Shrove Tuesday, traditionally, Anglo-Saxon Christians would go to confession to be "shriven," or absolved of their sins.

(Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia)

The church would ring a bell to call believers to confession; over time, this bell became known as the "Pancake Bell," which is still rung today.

Other than going to confession, Shrove Tuesday was the last day to use up all the fattening foods in one’s pantry before embarking on the 40 day fast.

Pancakes are the perfect food to do so: eggs, milk, and butter are the key ingredients.

For this reason, Shrove Tuesday became more popularly known as Pancake Day, and the tradition remains to this day.

Here we see some people participating in a pancake race in London, a long lived Pancake Day tradition.

The date of Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day varies each year, but it is always 47 days before Easter Sunday.

Whether you partake in these religious customs or not, any excuse to indulge in this sweet breakfast food is a good one.

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes are what many imagine when they think of sitting down to a big plate of breakfast pancakes. This North American classic is straightforward to make.

You'll need flour, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, buttermilk, unsalted butter, and oil for your pan.

Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add your eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter into the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Finally, in a greased frying pan, ladle around 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake. Once you see lots of bubbles, flip the pancake. Cook until golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Fresh fruit is a great topping too. Enjoy!

British pancakes are thinner and more crepe-like than the American version. They are traditionally served with lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar.

To make these pancakes, you will need flour, eggs, milk, butter, and salt. Start by sifting the flour into a bowl and adding a pinch of salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Whisk the egg into the flour, then slowly add the milk and the melted butter. The batter should have the same consistency as pouring cream. Do not over mix.

Then, heat a frying pan over high heat, add some butter to grease the pan. Add around two tablespoons of the batter and tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter. Cook for 30 seconds on each side. Serve warm with a drizzle of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar.