Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products?hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday.
Today is Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, and as is tradition all the little catholic children will be giving up sweets, crisps, chocoltes etc for 40 days and as a treat they get pancakes for dinner the night before.