Subject: RE: Children's Street Songs From: GUEST,Chris McCann - PM Date: 31 Mar 08 - 11:13 PM
One I remember from my childhood in Belfast in the 50s was: Pancake Tuesday is a holiday. If we don't get off, we'll all run away. Where shall we run? Down the wee lane. Who should we meet, but the teacher with the cane. What shall we do? We'll chop her up in two & leave her at the hospital at half past two! (? not totally clear in the memory department on the last half of the last line!)
-snip-
Since I had never heard of Pancake Tuesday before, I looked up information about it on Google, and found this interesting wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday
Here's a couple of excerpts from that page:
"The reason that pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent is that the 40 days of Lent form a period of liturgical fasting, during which only the plainest foodstuffs may be eaten. Therefore, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, and sugar are disposed of immediately prior to the commencement of the fast. Pancakes and doughnuts were therefore an efficient way of using up these perishable goods, besides providing a minor celebratory feast prior to the fast itself."
-snip-
Pancake Races: ..."The most famous pancake race, at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race to the finishing line tossing the pancakes as they go. As the pancakes are thin, some skill is required to toss them successfully while running. The winner is the first to cross the line having tossed the pancake a certain number of times.
The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney was so busy making pancakes, that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake."
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My thanks to GUEST,Chris McCann for writing the post that led to my learning something about Pancake Day. But I actually prefer waffles to pancakes. Is Waffle Day celebrated anywhere?