Pancake Day 2022: Date, why does it change every year and why do we celebrate Shrove Tuesday?
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Whether you prefer a standard pancake with lemon and sugar, or you prefer your pancakes doused in maple syrup, many are waiting in anticipation for Pancake Day.
Pancake Day, which is more traditionally known as Shrove Tuesday, has a different date each year depending on when Easter falls.
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Hide AdIf you would like to get ahead with your pancake tossing skills this year, here is everything you need to know about Pancake Day 2022:
When is Pancake Day 2022 and why does the date change every year?
Pancake Day always falls exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday which means it usually takes place between February 3 and March 9 each year.
This year, Shrove Tuesday will take place on March 1, with millions of households across the UK flipping and decorating pancakes.
Shrove Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday.
Why do we celebrate Shrove Tuesday?
Shrove Tuesday marks the day before the Lent fast begins.
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Hide AdShrove comes from the old English word Shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and doing penance.
On Shrove Tuesday, many people go to Confession to prepare themselves for Lent.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is on March 2 this year.
On Shrove Tuesday, people enjoy rich and fatty foods as a last celebration before the fast.
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Hide AdPancakes are traditionally eaten to use up rich food, such as eggs and milk, before they go bad during the fast.
According to religious beliefs, the ingredients also represent the four pillars of Christianity.
The eggs for creation, flour for mainstay of the human diet, salt for wholesomeness, and milk for purity.
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Hide AdChristians will go through 40 days of fasting during Lent, which is designed to help them remember how long Jesus spent fasting in the Wilderness.
The fast will end on Easter Sunday, which falls on April 17 this year.