Fat Tuesday Freebie: IHOP Marks Mardi Gras with Free Pancake Day

by Tina Kells | February 23, 2009 at 09:22 am

842 views | 8 Recommendations | 6 comments

On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) in the United States will be giving away free pancakes between 7am and 10am local time nationwide to mark National Pancake Day. The date is not chosen at random as National Pancake Day also coincides with the last day before the Catholic observance of Lent begins.

IHOP restaurants will celebrate the day by offering guests a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes, while asking for donations to the Children's Miracle Network program at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

IHOP nationwide hopes to raise $1 million to benefit children's hospitals and other charities.

Free pancakes will be served at area IHOP restaurants from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday, as it is called by Catholics around the world, is the day before Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Fat Tuesday is traditionally celebrated by using up stored eggs, milk, flour and other food stuffs that will be given up for Lent.

Known as Shrove Tuesday in the UK and National Pancake Day in the US, Fat Tuesday is celebrated with a pancake feast to use up bread, eggs and dairy products in preparation for the 40 days of fasting during Lent.

Fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras, the festival New Orleans, Louisiana, is famous for. "Gras" is French for fat and "Mardi" is French for Tuesday.

The annual festivities start on January 6, the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings are supposed to have visited the Christ Child, and build to a climax on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which always occurs on the day before Ash Wednesday. The parties and parades will continue until Lent begins at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.

Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in New Orleans. It is scheduled to occur 46 days before Easter. Since the actual date Easter occurs on changes yearly, Mardi Gras can happen on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9.

In 2008 IHOP raised close to $875,000 to children's charities in the United States with its free pancake promotion on Fat Tuesday. In 2009 it hopes to beat that amount.

Last year, IHOP served 1.5 million free pancakes on National Pancake Day. That's enough pancakes to create a 12-mile-high stack. Pancake lovers donated more than $875,000 to children's charities that day.

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Yuliya Talmazan

at 09:29 on February 23rd, 2009

I wish I lived in the States for this. Good for IHOP for standing up for a good cause.

Marty Graw (not verified)

at 10:51 on February 23rd, 2009

"Fat Tuesday is traditionally celebrated by using up stored eggs, milk, flour and other food stuffs that will be given up for Lent. "

this implies that IHOP expects people to give up pancakes for Lent. Can they stay in business for the next 46 days until Easter?

mtammas

at 11:58 on February 23rd, 2009

A nice touch from IHOP, but they're not alone when it comes to turning the day into a chance to do some good.

If you live in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, B.C. and a few other towns around the province, De Dutch Pannekoek House has celebrated Shrove Tuesday for almost a decade by making it a fundraising event. This February 24 at least $2.00 per pancake sold on the day will go to the restaurant chain's favourite charity, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

delfinon

at 00:31 on February 24th, 2009

delfinon has contributed a photo to this story.

rtsee

at 01:31 on February 24th, 2009

First time visiting the US, First time at IHOP, this was a year ago so did not eat for free

rtsee has contributed a photo to this story.

Navarrian

at 05:49 on February 24th, 2009

A crowd of over 20,000 joined in the Mardi Gras celebration at Navarre Beach Florida on Saturday, February 21st. This annual family event draws people from all over NW Florida and this year featured 46 organizational participants with floats, plenty of beads and festivities. The Navarre Krewe of Jesters hosted the event which featured the Procession of Royalty and Krewes from Milton, Ft Walton Beach and Pensacola Florida.

Navarrian has contributed a photo to this story.