This Tuesday February 2 is Candlemas. But where does this party come from and why do we eat pancakes? 

The tradition of Candlemas pancakes dates back to the Middle Ages

For all gourmets, February 2 is synonymous with pancakes. Sweet, savory, with jam or spread, there will be something for everyone. But where does this tradition of eating pancakes come from? And what exactly are we celebrating on Candlemas? The New Republic answers these questions.

Christian holiday and pagan basis

Candlemas is celebrated to mark the presentation of baby Jesus in the Temple, 40 days after his birth. It would have been set up by Pope Gelasius 1st in the fifth century and is named so because believers were invited to parade with candles. 

Like many Christian holidays (Christmas, etc.), it also occurs on a date of an ancient pagan holiday that celebrated the end of winter. We worshiped the light, supposed to guarantee the fertility of the earth and therefore good crops for the coming year. 

The pancake symbol of the sun

The tradition of the Candlemas pancake has two possible origins, going back nearly 1,500 years. One thesis is that it was Pope Gelasius I himself who established this tradition. He would have thus made pancakes with flour and eggs to sustain the faithful after their parade with candles. This recipe would have been transmitted to the point of transforming itself into the recipe for today's pancakes (flour, eggs and milk). 

The other explanation would be that the pancake symbolizes the sun in the minds of the peasants . And so, in their desire to honor the sun to ensure good harvests , they would have thought of making pancakes. Round, yellow and warm, the pancake that jumps in the pan would mark the rise of the sun in the sky. A tradition which also made it possible to dispose of their remaining flour before a new harvest.

Tradition that gourmets have therefore continued to maintain to the delight of young and old alike.