The Pancake Bell

More than a hundred years ago, Shrove Tuesday used to be a half-day holiday. A church bell, called the ‘Shriving Bell’, would have been rung signalling the start of the holiday and to call people to church to confess their sins. The church bell was rung at eleven o’clock in the morning, as a reminder to housewives to prepare their pancake batter and so the bell became known as the ‘Pancake Bell’.

The bell is still rung today in villages across England, although Shrove Tuesday is now not considered a half-holiday.

Cock Fighting

Shrove Tuesday used to be a great day for cock-fighting in England. Cockfighting was introduced to Britain by the Romans.

Superstition

In the Midlands, the first pancake made was given to the chickens, to ensure their fertility during the year.

It was believed that the first three pancakes cooked were sacred. They were each marked with a cross before being sprinkled with salt and then set aside to ward off evil.

Interesting Fact:
The world’s biggest pancake was cooked in Rochdale in 1994, it was an amazing 15 metres in diameter, weighed three tonnes and had an estimated two million calories.