On 9 Feb, 13:49, "JennyC" wrote:
"Martin" wrote
When is Pancake Day in France?"
It is the custom to prepare and eat crêpes on February 2nd and all through
the Mardi Gras season. Why this particular day? It's a bit shrouded in
mystery but many sources mention Pope Gélase I, who helped establish
Chandeleur and whose custom it was to feed crêpes to the pilgrims who
visited his church. The form and color of the crêpe also calls to mind the
sun, which is returning after its winter sleep.

It's a christian thing - going to mass and eating the crepes before
sun down, or it's bad luck. Well, my grand ma used to make us around
100 crepes - took us till 10pm to get through it all ) It's when the
virgin Mary showed Jesus in the temple for the first time. Pope Vigil
(6thC) established the day which was replacing the paen celebration of
'running with torches' called Prospertine celebrations (to celebrate
the dead) after Pope Gelase mentioned the idea (5thC) but wasn't taken
by many, yet. There's lots around the crepe day - some did it to chase
bad spirits from the house, some to keep the lightings away (always
with lit candles), others made them using the hand which had just
touch money, so it was for future fortune. But my favourite was to
keep fleas away ...!!

Unlike in NL where everyday is pancake day.

We went to the Dutch Pancake House, again, (which I recommend very
much indeed) and we took a taxi home as we were all too fat to
walk )))