News
Kansas gets racy for Pancake Day
15 February 2007
Travellers taking a holiday in Kansas, USA, may be tempted to join in with the state's Pancake Day celebrations.
Known locally as Fat Tuesday, an event is held in Kansas every year to mark the final day before Lent.
The main focus of the Kansas celebrations is the International Pancake Race, which sees the local female residents of Liberal, a small town in the state, pitted against rivals from Olney in England.
The race is the culmination of a week-long pancake-related celebration, which includes events such as pancake flipping, pancake eating, a parade, a singing competition and a beauty pageant.
Legend has it that the race has its routes in Olney back in 1445. It is said that a woman was still making pancakes when the bells at the local church began ringing for the beginning of Shriving service.
The woman ran to church with a half-cooked pancake in her hand, speeding through the streets of Olney to get to church on time.
In 1950 the race was taken to Liberal and the race keeps with tradition as it is 415 yards long, the same distance as the one in Olney.
This year's International Pancake Race takes place on 20 February.
© Adfero Ltd
Known locally as Fat Tuesday, an event is held in Kansas every year to mark the final day before Lent.
The main focus of the Kansas celebrations is the International Pancake Race, which sees the local female residents of Liberal, a small town in the state, pitted against rivals from Olney in England.
The race is the culmination of a week-long pancake-related celebration, which includes events such as pancake flipping, pancake eating, a parade, a singing competition and a beauty pageant.
Legend has it that the race has its routes in Olney back in 1445. It is said that a woman was still making pancakes when the bells at the local church began ringing for the beginning of Shriving service.
The woman ran to church with a half-cooked pancake in her hand, speeding through the streets of Olney to get to church on time.
In 1950 the race was taken to Liberal and the race keeps with tradition as it is 415 yards long, the same distance as the one in Olney.
This year's International Pancake Race takes place on 20 February.
© Adfero Ltd
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