What is Shrove Tuesday? Your guide to celebrating Pancake Day in style

When it comes to food-based holidays, Pancake Day is up there as one of our favourites. A whole day dedicated to this sweet - or savoury - treat is a day that deserves to be celebrated properly, and with as many toppings as possible. The best thing about pancakes – we think – is that they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. From dinky Scotch pancakes through to layered up crepe cakes, there’s a pancake style suitable for any party. We’re not too proud to eat pancakes for starters, mains and desserts, because if something only happens once every 365 days, you should really make the most of it.

Kick things off with a savoury crepe or two before moving onto a galette filled with cheese and ham, then skip right on over to something sweet for pudding, like pancakes topped with Nutella, cream and bananas, or keep it classic with just a bit of lemon and sugar. Whilst there are countless ways to celebrate Pancake Day, in our opinion it's the perfect excuse to head out to a restaurant and indulge in a stack of something sweet after dinner (or indeed for dinner).

But as you're tucking into your third, fourth, or fifth pancake of the day, you might have found yourself wondering, what is Pancake Day? While the frivolities are all well and good, we can’t help but wonder what Shrove Tuesday actually means, where it came from and, the big philosophical question, why do we eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?

In order to ensure we were as prepared as possible this year, we’ve done a deep dive into the traditions surrounding Pancake Day below, including finding the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions that surround this traditional foodie celebration.

What is Shrove Tuesday and when is it?

Choose from a selection of pancakes at Riding House Fitzrovia, Riding House Bloomsbury or Rail House Victoria.

This year, Shrove Tuesday falls on Tuesday 17 February 2026. Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day, and it's a much-loved holiday by pancake fanatics across the country.

The name is a derivative of the word 'shrive', with the word shrove referring to the confession of sins that occurred just before Lent. Whilst this tradition has for the most part been resigned to historical status, many Christians worldwide still use the day for introspection and reflection and many think of Shrove Tuesday as a day for carnivals or for eating delicious pancakes as a way to prepare for Lent.

Why does Shrove Tuesday change date each year?

Shrove Tuesday changes date every year because it is dependent on when Easter falls. This year, Easter Sunday is on 5 April 2026, with Shrove Tuesday always falling 47 days prior. 

It's to do with the fact that Easter is based on the Lunar calendar, rather than the Solar calendar. Confusing, we know! 

What is Lent?

Lent is a period of 40 days and 40 nights, in the run up to Easter, that starts on Ash Wednesday (the day after pancake day). For Christians this is an important time of fasting and self-examination, where certain foods and luxuries are often sacrificed. 

Images of a chocolate-less few weeks fill our heads, but historically it was a date to fast from food products like meat, fish, fats, eggs, and dairy. But why do we do it? In the Bible, people were taught about Jesus's time in the desert, fasting and praying, and resisting temptation from the Devil to prepare for working for God. As a way of testing self-discipline, Christians spend the same amount of time sacrificing something of their own.

Why do we eat pancakes on Pancake Day?

Head to Sunday in Brooklyn Marylebone or Notting Hill for a stack of their famous fluffy pancakes. 

You may be asking yourself why pancakes are eaten on a day that historically had such religious significance? The reason why people eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday is to do with using up 'tempting' ingredients that cannot be enjoyed during lent - namely eggs, butter and milk. Pancakes are the perfect thing to make with all three, which is how Shrove Tuesday came to be associated with pancakes! 

Shrove Tuesday traditions: How to celebrate Pancake Day

Fasting from food is one thing; however, Lent also signifies a fast from celebrating. Pancakes may satisfy the pantry clear-out but not the need for festivities before this sombre period. Maybe that's why each year we see pancake races across the country. This tradition is thought to have started in Olney, Buckinghamshire, where a lady making her pancakes in her kitchen was lost in her own world, time running away from her. Hearing the church bells ringing, she ran from her home through the town, still in her apron, pancake pan in her hand. And thus became the tradition of pancake races, occurring each year and enjoyed both by children, and our members of parliament who race against journalists each year to raise money for charity.

Where do pancakes come from?

Enjoy plant-based pancakes at Mildreds Soho or Mildreds Camden.

Turns out pancakes aren't a modern invention. We can find a recipe for pancakes in Gervase Markham's book 'The English Huswife', which dates back to1615. Slightly thicker than the French crêpe, the English pancake stands as its own dish that has delighted the nation for many centuries. The ingredients can be seen as symbols for lent, with eggs representing creation, flour symbolising the staff of life, and milk as purity. Whilst we might have dropped the sweet spices that Markham's recipe calls for, the classic topping of lemon and sugar remains the most popular combination that we sprinkle on top, although maybe a chocolate sauce might prove a worthy rival.

How do you make the perfect pancake?

We make them every year, yet the first pancake always comes out rubbish! Here's a video by Gordon Ramsay, showing us how he makes his pancakes extra unique in 3 different ways.

How do you celebrate Pancake Day?

To celebrate pancake day you only really need one thing: Pancakes. While you can of course make them yourself, you could also head out and let someone do the hard work for you at a restaurant, cafe or cart. Traditional pancakes may be delicious, but we all could use a little excitement in our kitchen every now and again, so this pancake day (if you do decide to make your own), why not mix it up a little and try a different type of pancake from across the globe? Here are some of our favourites. 

Kaiserscharrn

An 'emperor's mess' certainly doesn't sound appealing, but maybe Austria's Kaiserscharrn will convince you otherwise. The eggs whites for this mix are beaten before being stirred into the batter, and these fluffy pancakes can be found filled with boozy rum-soaked raisins before being fried, split up into bite-sized pieces, and dusted in icing sugar. Absolutely delicious.

Chinese Scallion Pancake

Sweet tooth escaping you? Why not try a Chinese scallion pancake, also known as a Bing? Crusty and crispy on the outside, this flaky wheat-based pancake can be dipped in soy sauce and enjoyed as a savoury treat.

Drunch is undoubtedly one of London's best pancake spots, and these dulce de leche and banana pancakes prove it

Bedhrir

Whilst you might not think that a pancake and a crumpet have much in common, a Bedhrir from Morocco proves it's a match made in heaven. This is a yeasted, semolina or wheat-based pancake that's riddled in tiny holes, it's absolutely perfect for soaking up the honey-butter mixture they're typically dipped into.

Dutch Baby

Heading over to America, we see the German community in Pennsylvania's delightfully sweet version of a pancake called a Dutch Baby. It may look like a Yorkshire pudding, but there's nothing savoury about this sweet treat.

However you're celebrating Pancake Day this year, we hope it's a delicious one. If you're looking for inspiration then check out our list of the best Pancakes in London to take the celebrations to the next level!