Yes, it’s that time of year again. Tomorrow is IHOP’s National Pancake Day. They’ll give you a free short stack if you consider supporting a local children’s hospital or other charity. I hope a lot of people do more than merely consider making a donation because IHOP aims to raise more than a million dollars this year. Come on, people, you’re getting three free pancakes. Take out your damn checkbook. It’s for the children.
I plan on partaking tomorrow for dinner. There’s randomly an IHOP about four blocks away from me. I did a triple-take the first time I walked by it. IHOPs and Manhattan just do not go together in my mind. It’s like finding a Perkins next to Madison Square Garden or a Cub Foods in Chinatown. Does. Not. Compute. Tomorrow I’ll face down this freakish combination.
If you go to IHOP, be sure to regal your dining companions with some Pancake Day trivia. Pancake Day is celebrated in many cultures. It’s no coincidence it lands on Fat Tuesday, which is always the day before Ash Wednesday, which in turn signals the start of Lent. “Lent” is a nice way of saying “deprive yourself of all things fun.” In the olden days, pious people didn’t eat such succulent things as eggs and butter during the 40-day stretch. To use up these sinful ingredients before Lent kicked off, they’d make lots and lots of pancakes and have one more day of fun. Hence, Pancake Day. One more fun fact: I did not have to Google any of that. I’ve researched Pancake Day for two jobs now, and it’s become one of those things I store in the Quiz Bowl part of my brain.
Enjoy!
