Pancake day for social scientists

Today is Shrove Tuesday . For many people it is also pancake day

BBC History magazine has a basic history to the traditions and why we eat pancakes


In 2017 a YouGov survey of 5,000 people found that the favourite topping was lemon and sugar

other polls on this topic included the percentage who know how to make a pancake from scratch!


Shrove Tuesday traditions.

To se manuscripts, music and song notes from traditional English folklore try searching the Vaughan Williams library and Full English resource. An example is this Pancake song collected in 1908 by Cecil Sharpe in Devon.

Another gem is Shrove Tuesday When men go to plough

Pancake races are another tradition. Olney has a famous race

Pathe news reels has some marvellous short films of this including one from 1927 with the running women in aprons

BFI Player also has some fun amateur films like this one from 1960 of children scrabbling for a pancake

For some recipes

A few good examples are in the Womens Library LSE digital Library. The Queen-like Closet by Hannah Woolley from 17th century Has a fascinating collection if you search. These include a Sussex pancake

Countrey Contentments, or the English Huswife - Page: 66also has some advice on making the best pancake . Take a look at the spellings!

for a different alternative

BFI player has an iconic Findus pancakes advert from 1981!
Or try the BBC fun quiz what does your pancake say about you!