Shrove Tuesday - or Pancake Day as it's known to many - is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Catholic Lent period. The date is perhaps best known for the traditional consumption of pancakes that comes along with it. In times gone by, pancakes were considered the easiest way to use up rich foods like eggs, milk and sugar before Catholics began fasting for Lent.

However, while the religious aspect of the date is still there, for many - and in particular for children - the main appeal surrounding Shrove Tuesday is the pancakes themselves. Indeed, many families come together on the day to both make and enjoy eating pancakes. A recent survey has revealed that participation in Shrove Tuesday actually seems to decrease with age - 78% of respondents aged 15-29 said that they make pancakes on the day, and 72% aged 30-49 did so as well. However, only 60% of those over 50 bothered with the practice. Perhaps this could be best explained by the fact that the holiday is most enjoyable when young children are around the house.

Once you've decided to try your hand at some pancake creating, ,you'll have to choose what type of topping to opt for. Results from the survey showed that lemon and sugar are the two most popular types of topping for UK respondents; however syrup, honey and jam also proved to be a hit.

Once the pancakes are out of the way, there are many different festivities held throughout the country in honour of the holiday. For instance, many towns hold what are known as Shrove Tuesday (or mob) football games. Bizarrely, these games can involve hundreds of participants, who are all trying to get a ball into goals that can be as far as three miles apart. The Royal Shrovetide annual football match in Derbyshire is perhaps the best known of these games - Prince Charles even attended it a few years ago - and some experts claim that the first game was played way back in medieval times.

Then, there's pancake racing. This tradition is said to stem from an amusing situation where a housewife from Olney in Buckinghamshire was so busy making pancakes on Shrove Tuesday that she forgot it was time for her to go to Church. When the bells started ringing for a service, she raced there, frying pan and pancake in hand. Pancake races are fairly common throughout England in particular, with the race in Olney being particularly popular. Contestants in these races have to carry a frying pan and race to the finishing line while tossing the pancakes as they go. The contestants in the race are mostly women, although men can participate as well - as long as they dress up like a housewife.

Shrove Tuesday is one of the most fun dates on the calendar for many people, and whether you're taking part in a mob football game, or just enjoying lemon pancakes like the respondents to the web survey, hopefully these Shrove Tuesday facts will allow you to find a way to make the day as enjoyable as you can.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.