Shrove Tuesday

St David's Marist Inanda commemorated Shrove Tuesday on 21 February with the 9th annual Inter-House Pancake Race.

Shrove Tuesday is commemorated the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of the Holy season of Lent by Christians globally. For many years, Shrove Tuesday has been referred colloquially to as 'Pancake Day' or 'Pancake Tuesday', as pancakes have traditionally been a way of ridding your household of rich foods (such as eggs, milk, and sugar) before embarking on the 40 day season of Lent, which emphasizes eating simpler foods and/or fasting, in line with Jesus' experience of fasting in the desert for 40 days and nights.

As an all-boys Catholic school that welcomes people of all faiths, and encourages the exploration of every individual's spiritual journey, the annual Pancake Race and Pancake Sale have become well-loved traditions that embrace our religious ethos as well as encompass our individual diversity.

The 2023 Pancake Race saw fierce inter-house competition, with the College gentlemen sprinting around the St David's Quad, and the Prep boys weaving through and jumping over obstacles on the Prep School fields. There were some near-accidental pancake plummets as the boys raced to the cheers of their peers. After a tight race, the College boys of Plaatje House won the coveted Pancake Race Trophy Pan, being the first of the recently established Houses to win this title. The Prep races were also characterised by fierce competition, and the winners of each Grade race have earned their Houses some well-deserved points in this year's Inter-House competition. The Prep boys were also treated to a staff Pancake Race, and were so excited to see their teachers race the obstacle course that many of them left their spot on the sidelines to run alongside their teachers and cheer them on.

Students and staff were also able to buy pancakes from the various stalls set-up by each House in both the College and Prep, with our wonderful parents making and serving hundreds of pancakes, with tasty toppings including marshmallows, syrup, sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and the classic cinnamon-sugar. There were many happy faces across the school, as everyone enjoyed their treats. All the proceeds from the pancake sales will be going towards our various Marist Care projects.