Show Shrove Tuesday Is Pancake Day Through England LONDON March Ii 6 United Press Last Tuesday was the only day in the year when pancakes are gener generally Ily eaten In England Shrove Tuesday is popularly known as Pancake da day Every J very dutiful housewife is supposed to tomake tomake make pancakes and restaurants r feature them on their menus Pan Pan- Pancakes cak cakes s are In a class with hot cross buns on Good Friday only to be forgotten for another year Eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day is a very old custom here When Lent was kept b by a strict abstinence from meat for forty days it was customary to use up all the dripping and lard In making making mak mak- ing pancakes on the da day before It started The English frequently use beef dripping in place of syrup in eating pancakes Pancakes are offered to callers and tradesman and boys Jo In the streets ot of the towns are frequently called in to get some Another old custom of at ringing the street the bells pancake bells to signal when the dough shall be mixed and also to signal when the cakes shall be eaten still Is followed followed fol- fol lowed in some of the rural districts Originally butter and lard fire and frying pans and usually beer were provided tree free to the poor The only conditions were that no quarrels quarrels were to take place on this day that each wife and mother should fry for her own family and that the cakes should be tossed In the theair theall all air when they need turning Another custom was for tor the Women women wo- wo men to brink their first pancakes to the church and the woman arriving first kissed by the bell ringer This was considered a great distinction for the woman and remained with her throughout the year The English do not generally eat pancakes as routinely as the AmerIcans Amer- Amer Americans do and they are not a breakfast breakfast break break- fast delicacy here Also the pancakes pan pan- pancakes cakes made here are not as good as the AmerIcan M Westminster school has a historical cal ceremony for cel celebrating Pancake Pan Pan- cake cale day Studies are set aside and the boys bo s 's gather in the playroom When the pancake bells ring th the cook enters with a frying pan containIng containing con con- a steaming pancake This he tosses over a crossbar between two posts and the boys scramble for it There Is always a brisk tussle tussle and the lad who emerges with the largest piece of pancake Is retarded rewarded re- re warded with a prize of 5 given bythe by bythe the headmaster |