In the Uk there is a much-loved tradition of making and eating pancakes (crèpes) on Shrove Tuesday, that means tomorrow, just the day before Ash Wednesday (dimecres de cendra) , the first day of a period called Lent (Quaresma).

Shrove comes from the verb “Shrive”, which in Old English means to confess, since in  Christian beliefs one had to confess before Lent, a period that commemorates Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness.   In fact, Shrove Tuesday was to use up (gastar) all the food that we could not eat in Lent, and might go off (fer-se malbé): eggs, butter, and sugar… the ingredients of pancakes. Here you have a recipe in American accent!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/ayIuoNCaD7I" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Another typical thing in the Uk are the pancake races , which as their name indicates, are races where some people carry a frying pan with a hot pancake inside and have to flip the pancake a specific number of times, usually three, before they get to the finishing line.

The most famous one is probably Olney Pancake Race: the ones who take part in it are local housewives wearing an apron (devantal) and a hat or a scarf. They must run 375 metres from the  market square to the church with the frying pan and the  pancake. The frist one to give the frying pan to the bell ringer (campaner) wins and gets the prize (premi) :   the bell ringer’s kiss and a prayer book (llibre d’oracions) from the vicar.

Watch it here: [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/T8Uhcf-TmZw" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

And finally Shrovetide football, a tradition from the 12th century. See how they enjoy it!