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Hi everyone, I'm Gina.
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Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday to give it its proper name, is the Tuesday seven weeks
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before Easter.
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It is the last day before a period of abstinence, Lent, starts.
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In this lesson, you're going to learn about why it is commonly known as Pancake Day and
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why it is a special day in Britain.
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Do you know where the name Shrove Tuesday comes from and what it means?
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We'll show you the answer at the end of this video.
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The traditional meaning of Shrove Tuesday comes from it being the day before Lent begins.
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It was the last chance for people to eat whatever they chose before they began to fast and was
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an opportunity for them to eat whatever was left in their pantry or kitchen.
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We eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday because they are easy to make and can be filled with
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any topping.
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British pancakes are thin batters, only a few millimetres thick, that are cooked in
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a frying pan.
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Brave chefs will flip their pancakes to ensure they're cooked both sides but others will
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use a spatula.
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Popular toppings include plain lemon and sugar, and sweeter things such as chocolate and fruit.
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As well as cooking pancakes, there are many games and activities that are held in Britain.
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The most popular are pancake races.
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In these races, competitors run a short track, maybe only 100 metres or so, while flipping
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a pancake in their frying pan.
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If you drop the pancake you have to stop and pick it up!
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The winner is whoever completes the race first with their pancake still intact.
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There is a famous race held in Olney.
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Participants must be housewives and wear an apron.
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The winner is the first to complete a 375 metre course, give their pancake to the church
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bell ringer and receive a kiss.
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And now I'll give you the answer to the earlier quiz.
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Do you know where the name Shrove Tuesday comes from and what it means?
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Shrove comes from the word “shrive” and this means to confess.
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In the olden days, Shrove Tuesday would be a day of confession for Christians before
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Lent began.
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How was this lesson?
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Did you learn something interesting?
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Do you eat pancakes in your country?
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If so, are they the same as British pancakes?
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Leave us a comment at EnglishClass101.com.
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And we'll see you in the next lesson!