Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) 2025 in England

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, marks the traditional feast day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. In England, it’s celebrated with playful competitions, particularly the famous pancake races, where participants—often in fancy dress—race through the streets while flipping pancakes in frying pans. These races have become a lively and iconic part of the day’s festivities, blending tradition with fun.

Olney Pancake Race

The most famous Pancake Day race takes place in Olney, Buckinghamshire, with a tradition dating back to 1445. Legend says a woman, hearing the shriving bell while making pancakes, ran to the church wearing her apron and holding her frying pan. Today, teams of four race along a set route, flipping pancakes in frying pans while dressed in various costumes, such as aproned housewives, office workers, or clowns.

In Olney, the winner traditionally receives a kiss from a local priest and is the first to serve her pancake to the bellringer at the church. Each participant must toss their pancake three times during the race. Similar festive pancake races are also popular in other parts of England, including London, adding a fun and quirky touch to Shrove Tuesday traditions.

Traditions across England

Pancake Day is celebrated across England with unique traditions. At Westminster School in London, boys scramble to grab pieces of a giant pancake during the annual Pancake Grease, with the winner receiving a monetary prize. In Scarborough, Yorkshire, residents gather on the promenade to participate in a communal skipping tradition, a practice possibly linked to medieval fertility rites. Meanwhile, several towns, such as Ashbourne in Derbyshire and Alnwick in Northumberland, uphold centuries-old Shrove Tuesday football matches, known as mob football, despite the tradition’s decline after the 1835 Highways Act.

History of Pancake Day

Pancakes have a long history, appearing in cookbooks as early as 1439. Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, has roots in Anglo-Saxon Christian tradition, where people would confess and be "shriven" (absolved of sins) before Lent's fasting period. The ringing of the "Pancake Bell" called people to confession, a custom still observed in some areas. Pancakes became a practical way to use up rich ingredients like eggs and fats before the 40-day fast, solidifying their association with this pre-Lenten celebration.