Celebrated for centuries in the UK, February 5th is Pancake Day (or Shrove Tuesday).
In the US, we call it Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras for our friends in New Orleans.
Add an extra layer this year with what some call Monster Tuesday this primary day.
The BBC Food Page offers an history of Pancake Day as well as recipes and events around the country.
Word of Mouth piece Fry in the face of tradition shows us MP's flipping pancakes in front of the Parliament.
A traditional event is the Olney Pancake Race where "Participants, housewives or young ladies of the town, must have lived in Olney for at least 3 months and be at least 18 years old. Competitors must wear the traditional costume of a housewife, including a skirt, apron and head covering. They must of course carry a frying pan containing a pancake. The winner, on crossing the line, must toss her pancake"
Getting back to New Orleans, MardisGras.com offers a wealth of information in collaboration with the Times-Picayune. I picked the cover of the paper's guide to Mardis Gras 2008 as an illustration.
France has a similar event on February 2nd, La Chandeleur.
In any case, celebrate without excess.
Related: From Alligator (Sub Sandwich) to Rabbit (Stew): New Orleans Summer Restaurant Guide
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