Who doesn't love Pancake Tuesday? An annual excuse to stuff our faces? We are so there!
Now, before we get to chowing down, let's educate ourselves first. Pancake Tuesday proves just as interesting as it is appetising.
Here are 10 fun facts, many from Aldi, to keep you tided over before you tuck into your pancakes:
1) Pancake Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, falls exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday.
This means that it Pancake Tuesday's timing can fall anywhere from February 3 to March 9.
2) In Finland, they eschew actual pancakes and instead eat green pea soup and pastry.
Hmm, we're happy to stick with the whole pancake theme.
3) The holiday historically started with people trying to use up all of their butter, sugar, and eggs before Lent began.
Now, though, that translates into pancakes and toppings galore! You can pick up plenty of those scrumptious toppings in Aldi, from squeezy golden syrup to specially selected peanut butter.
4) Icelanders set themselves apart like the Finns, eating salted meat and peas.
They even have their own special term for Shrove Tuesday: Sprengidagur, or Bursting Day (probably because we're all fit to burst by the end!).
5) Speaking of fit to burst, the Swiss have their own name for Pancake Tuesday - Gudisdienstag, meaning stomach full of food!
6) In German-American populations, Shrove Tuesday is referred to as Fastnacht Day.
Fastnacht translates to 'Fast Night', and involves gorging on the very best foods.
7) The French call Shrove Tuesday Mardis Gras, meaning 'Fat Tuesday' because it's tradition to eat rich food on the day.
Mardis Gras can also refer to the events of the Carnival celebrations, which in some cultures stretch all the way from the feast of the Epiphany in early January to the day before Ash Wednesday.
And hey, if you want to make crepes to get in the Mardis Gras spirit, you can try Aldi's crepe maker.
8) Christian festivals in Russia and Ukraine around this time of year involve pancakes.
9) The earliest known reference to pancakes themselves comes from the 5th century BC.
'Tagenias', derived from the Ancient Greek word for frying pan, were referenced in works by Greek poets.
10) Shrove Tuesday is often known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK, and Ireland.
But sure, you knew that already, didn't you?
Aldi will have pancake-friendly products on sale in all of its stores nationwide from Thursday, February 8th while stocks last.
