Why We Eat Pancakes On Fat Tuesday

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.

Origins
Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent - the 40 days leading up to Easter - was traditionally a time of fasting and on Shrove Tuesday Christians went to confession and were "shriven" (absolved from their sins). It was the last opportunity to use eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.
Pancake tradition
The pancake has a very long history and featured in cookbooks as far back as 1439
A thin, flat cake, made of batter and baked on a griddle or fried in a pan, the pancake has a very long history and featured in cookbooks as far back as 1439. The tradition of tossing or flipping them is almost as old: "And every man and maide doe take their turne, And tosse their Pancakes up for feare they burne." (Pasquil's Palin, 1619).

The ingredients for pancakes can be seen to symbolise four points of significance at this time of year:

Eggs ~ Creation

Flour ~ The staff of life

Salt ~ Wholesomeness

Milk ~ Purity

Basic Pancake or Crêpe Batter Recipe

1 cup all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt

For frying

1 tbsp corn oil

1 tbsp melted butter

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl

add pinch of salt

beat the eggs lightly

add to the flour and mix well in

leave to rest for at least 1 hour or even overnight

heat all the oil and butter in a small frying pan

pour it into a cup and keep aside

with a ladle add a little of the batter to make a thin pancake

fry one side until it turns slightly brown then turn and do the same on the other side

brushing the pan after each pancake with the oil mixture

keep pancakes warm while making the rest

will make approx 10-14 pancakes

serve with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a dusting of sugar.