March 4 – Today marks the celebration of ‘Shrove Tuesday’, better known in the UK as ‘Pancake Day’. It falls the day before Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent for Western Christians) and is traditionaly when observers participate in confession and absolution and finalising one’s Lenten sacrifice.

However, it is also the day famous for the eating of pancakes and other sweets such as crumpets. In Britain, the custom of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates back to the 16th century.

The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word shrive, meaning “absolve”.

Although Greeks do not celebrate ‘Shrove Tuesday’, they have a love for pancakes at any time, which in Greece are called tiganites (τηγανίτες) and are popular across Greece and Cyprus. They are slightly thicker than crêpes and can be sweet, or savoury. Their main ingredients are flour, olive oil or butter, milk and eggs. They are usually drizzled with honey and cinnamon and sometimes topped with cheese, nuts, fruits or vegetables.

Whether celebrating or not, we wish you a happy Shrove Tuesday!