How have I never known about pancake day?

Today is Shrove Tuesday or, as the British call it, pancake day. Apparently the day before lent begins is the traditional day to make pancakes. This comes from people cleaning out their cupboards of the last of their guilty things before they begin their Lenten ways. Or something like that. Its a really big deal. all the grocery stores advertise their pancake making supplies and have specials on ready-made pancakes. And yet this is the first I have ever heard of it. We have lent in Canada, why don't we eat pancakes? As a Calgary girl, I associate pancakes with the Stampede and shopping mall parking lots, not and pre-lent celebration.

In honour of the occasion, we served up pancakes at the office. As an 'Office Angel' I got the lovely task of supplying pancakes for the 200 some-odd folks who work at our offices, dubbed 'Fruit Towers'. How, you might ask, did we achieve such a feat? It was simple really; just a matter of some microwaves, some magic and some creative re-imagining of the truth. IN short: buying pre-made pancakes at the local tesco, reheating them and serving them on nice platters, all the while inventing 'Pat', the kind lady who lives up the street and really loves our company who just wanted to make us pancakes. You'd be surprised how many people took the bait.